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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

Ralph  S.   Twosood 


HISTORY 

OF 

THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 

1831-1920 


DIRECTORS 

WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN,  Rosemont,  Pa. 

ALBA  B.  JOHNSON,  Rosemont,  Pa. 

SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN,  Rosemont,  Pa. 

SAMUEL  F.  PRYOR,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

WILLIAM  E.  COREY,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

SYDNEY  E.  HUTCHINSON,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
SIDNEY  F.  TYLER,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

B.  DAWSON  COLEMAN,  Lebanon,  Pa. 

HAROLD  T.  WHITE,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

THOMAS  G.  ASHTON,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

ARTHUR  W.  SEW  ALL,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

ARTHUR  E.  NEWBOLD,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

OFFICERS 

ARTHUR  E.  NEWBOLD.  .          .     Chairman  of  the  Board 

WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN     .          .          Vice-Chairman  of  the  Board 

SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN  .          .     President 

JOHN  P.  SYKES  .          .          .          Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Manufacture 

WILLIAM  DEKRAFFT          .          .     Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Finance, 

and  Treasurer 

GRAFTON  GREENOUGH  .          Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Domestic  Sales 

F.  DE  ST.  PHALLE  .          .     Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Foreign  Sales 
JAMES  MCNAUGHTON  .          .         Consulting  Vice-President 

ARTHUR  L.  CHURCH  .          .     Secretary  and  Assistant  Treasurer 
A.  B.  EHST         .          .          .          Comptroller 


Engineering 
Library 
TJ 


THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 


1831 

MATTHIAS  W.  BALDWIN 
1839 

BALDWIN,  VAIL  &  HUFTY 

M.  W.  BALDWIN*  GEORGE  VAIL*  GEORGE  W.  HUFTY* 

1841 

BALDWIN  &  VAIL 

M.  W.  BALDWIN*  GEORGE  VAIL* 

1842 

BALDWIN  &  WHITNEY 
M.  W.  BALDWIN*  ASA  WHITNEY* 

1846 
M.  W.  BALDWIN 

1854 
M.  W.  BALDWIN  &  CO. 

M.  W.  BALDWIN*  MATTHEW  BAIRD* 

1867 
M.  BAIRD  &  CO. 

MATTHEW  BAIRD*  GEORGE  BURNHAM*  CHARLES  T.  PARRY* 

1870 

M.  BAIRD  &  CO. 

MATTHEW  BAIRD*  GEORGE  BURNHAM*  CHARLES  T.  PARRY* 

EDWARD  H.  WILLIAMS*  WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY*  EDWARD  LONGSTRETH* 

1873 

BURNHAM,  PARRY,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  CHARLES  T.  PARRY*  EDWARD  H.  WILLIAMS* 

WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY*  EDWARD  LONGSTRETH*  JOHN  H.  CONVERSE* 

1886 

BURNHAM,  PARRY,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  CHARLES  T.  PARRY*  EDWARD  H.  WILLIAMS* 

WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY*  JOHN  H.  CONVERSE*  WILLIAM  C.  STROUD* 

WILLIAM  H.  MORROW*  WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN 

1891 

BURNHAM,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  EDWARD  H.  WILLIAMS*  WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY* 

JOHN  H.  CONVERSE*  WILLIAM  C.  STROUD*  WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN 

1896 

BURNHAM,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  EDWARD  H.  WILLIAMS*  WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY* 

JOHN  H.  CONVERSE*  WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN  SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN 

ALBA  B.  JOHNSON  GEORGE  BURNHAM,  JR. 

1901 

BURNHAM,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY*  JOHN  H.  CONVERSE* 

WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN  SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN  ALBA  B.  JOHNSON 

GEORGE  BURNHAM,  JR. 

1907 

BURNHAM,  WILLIAMS  &  CO. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM*  WILLIAM  P.  HENSZEY*  JOHN  H.  CONVERSE* 

WILLIAM  L.  AUSTIN  SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN  ALBA  B.  JOHNSON 

1909 

Incorporated  under  the  Laws  of  Pennsylvania 


Incorporated  under  the  Laws  of  Pennsylvania  as 

BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 


1911 

Incorporated  under  the  Laws  of  Pennsylvania  as 

THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 

*NOW  DECEASED 


498128 


The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 

THESE  Works  occupy  nineteen  and  three-tenths  acres  in  the 
heart  of  Philadelphia  and  five  hundred  and  ninety-six  acres 
at  Eddystone,  on  the  Delaware  River,  twelve  miles  below 
the  city.  The  offices  and  principal  machine  shops  are  situated  in 
the  rectangle  bounded  on  the  north  by  Spring  Garden  Street,  on 
the  east  by  Broad  Street,  on  the  south  by  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railway  Subway  and  on  the  west  by  Nineteenth  Street. 
There  are  also  shops  located  on  the  line  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railway  at  Twenty-sixth  to  Twenty-ninth  Streets. 

The  Works  dates  its  origin  from  the  inception  of  steam 
railroads  in  America.  Called  into  existence  by  the  early  require- 
ments of  the  railroad  interests  of  the  country,  it  has  grown  with 
their  growth  and  kept  pace  with  their  progress.  It  has  reflected 
in  its  career  the  successive  stages  of  American  railroad  practice, 
and  has  itself  contributed  largely  to  the  development  of  the  loco- 
motive as  it  exists  today.  A  history  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works,  therefore,  is  in  a  great  measure,  a  record  of  the  progress 
of  locomotive  engineering  in  this  country,  and  as  such  cannot 
fail  to  be  of  interest  to  those  who  are  concerned  in  this  important 
element  of  our  material  progress. 

MATTHIAS  W.  BALDWIN,  the  founder  of  the  establishment, 
learned  the  trade  of  a  jeweler,  and  entered  the  service  of  Fletcher 
&  Gardiner,  Jewelers  and  Silversmiths,  Philadelphia,  in  1817. 
Two  years  later  he  opened  a  small  shop,  in  the  same  line  of 
business,  on  his  own  account.  The  demand  for  articles  of  this 
character  falling  off,  however,  he  formed  a  partnership  in  1825, 
with  David  Mason,  a  machinist,  in  the  manufacture  of  book- 
binders' tools  and  cylinders  for  calico  printing.  Their  shop  was 
in  a  small  alley  which  runs  north  from  Walnut  Street,  above 
Fourth.  They  afterward  removed  to  Minor  Street,  below  Sixth. 
The  business  was  so  successful  that  steam  power  became  neces- 
sary in  carrying  on  their  manufactures,  and  an  engine  was  bought 
for  the  purpose.  This  proving  unsatisfactory,  Mr.  Baldwin 
decided  to  design  and  construct  one  which  should  be  specially 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


MR.  BALDWIN'S  FIRST  ENGI 


adapted  to  the  requirements  of  his  shop.  One  of  these  require- 
ments was  that  it  should  occupy  the  least  possible  space,  and  this 
was  met  by  the  construction  of  an  upright  engine  on  a  novel  and 
ingenious  plan.  On  a  bed-plate  about  five  feet  square  an  upright 
cylinder  was  placed ;  the  piston  rod  con- 
nected to  a  cross-bar  having  two  legs, 
turned  downward,  and  sliding  in  grooves 
on  the  sides  of  the  cylinder,  which  thus 
formed  the  guides.  To  the  sides  of 
these  legs,  at  their  lower  ends,  was  con- 
nected by  pivots  an  inverted  U-shaped 
frame,  prolonged  at  the  arch  into  a 
single  rod,  which  took  hold  of  the  crank 
of  a  fly  wheel  carried  by  upright  stand- 
ards on  the  bed-plate.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  length  of  the  ordinary  separate 
guide-bars  was  thus  saved,  and  the 
whole  engine  was  brought  within  the 
smallest  possible  compass.  The  design 
of  the  machine  was  not  only  unique,  but  its  workmanship  was 
so  excellent,  and  its  efficiency  so  great,  as  readily  to  procure  for 
Mr.  Baldwin  orders  for  additional  stationary  engines.  His 
attention  was  thus  turned  to  steam  engineering,  and  the  way 
was  prepared  for  his  grappling  with  the  problem  of  the  locomo- 
tive when  the  time  should  arrive. 

This  original  stationary  engine,  constructed  prior  to  1830,  is 
still  in  good  order  and  carefully  preserved  at  the  Works.  It  has 
successively  supplied  the  power  in  six  different  departments  as 
they  have  been  opened,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  growth  of  the 
business. 

The  manufacture  of  stationary  steam  engines  thus  took  a 
prominent  place  in  the  establishment,  and  Mr.  Mason  shortly 
afterward  withdrew  from  the  partnership. 

In  1829-30  the  use  of  steam  as  a  motive  power  on  railroads 
had  begun  to  engage  the  attention  of  American  engineers.  A 
few  locomotives  had  been  imported  from  England,  and  one 
(which,  however,  was  not  successful)  had  been  constructed  at 
the  West  Point  Foundry,  in  New  York  City.  To  gratify  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

public  interest  in  the  new  motor,  Mr.  Franklin  Peale,  then 
proprietor  of  the  Philadelphia  Museum,  applied  to  Mr.  Baldwin 
to  construct  a  miniature  locomotive  for  exhibition  in  his  establish- 
ment. With  the  aid  only  of  the  imperfect  published  descriptions 
and  sketches  of  the  locomotives  which  had  taken  part  in  the 
Rainhill  competition  in  England,  Mr.  Baldwin  undertook  the 
work,  and  on  the  25th  of  April,  1831,  the  miniature  locomotive 
was  put  in  motion  on  a  circular  track  made  of  pine  boards 
covered  with  hoop  iron,  in  the  rooms  of  the  Museum.  Two 
small  cars,  containing  seats  for  four  passengers,  were  attached 
to  it,  and  the  novel  spectacle  attracted  crowds  of  admiring 
spectators.  Both  anthracite  and  pine-knot  coal  were  used  as 
fuel,  and  the  exhaust  steam  was  discharged  into  the  chimney, 
thus  utilizing  it  to  increase  the  draught. 

The  success  of  the  model  was  such  that,  in  the  same  year, 
Mr.  Baldwin  received  an  order  for  a  locomotive  from  the  Phila- 
delphia, Germantown  and  Norristown  Railroad  Company,  whose 
short  line  of  six  miles  to  Germantown  was  operated  by  horse 
power.  The  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad  Company  had 
shortly  before  imported  a  locomotive  from  England,  which  was 
stored  in  a  shed  at  Bordentown.  It  had  not  yet  been  put 
together;  but  Mr.  Baldwin,  in  company  with  his  friend  Mr. 
Peale,  visited  the  spot,  inspected  the  detached  parts,  and  made  a 
few  memoranda  of  some  of  its  principal  dimensions.  Guided  by 
these  figures  and  his  experience  with  the  Peale  model,  Mr. 
Baldwin  commenced  the  task.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome 
in  filling  the  order  can  hardly  be  appreciated  at  this  day.  There 
were  few  mechanics  competent  to  do  any  part  of  the  work  on 
a  locomotive.  Suitable  tools  were  with  difficulty  obtainable. 
Cylinders  were  bored  by  a  chisel  fixed  in  a  block  of  wood  and 
turned  by  hand.  Blacksmiths  able  to  weld  a  bar  of  iron  exceed- 
ing one  and  one-quarter  inches  in  thickness  were  few,  or  not  to 
be  had.  It  was  necessary  for  Mr.  Baldwin  to  do  much  of  the 
work  with  his  own  hands,  to  educate  the  workmen  who  assisted 
him,  and  to  improvise  tools  for  the  various  processes. 

The  work  was  prosecuted,  nevertheless,  under  all  these 
difficulties,  and  the  locomotive  was  fully  completed,  christened 
"Old  Ironsides,"  and  tried  on  the  road,  November  23,  1832. 


10  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

The  circumstances  of  the  trial  are  fully  preserved,  and  are  given, 
farther  on,  in  the  extracts  from  the  journals  of  the  day.  Despite 
some  imperfections,  naturally  occurring  in  a  first  effort,  and 
which  were  afterward  to  a  great  extent  remedied,  the  engine  was, 
for  that  early  day,  a  marked  and  gratifying  success.  It  was  put 
at  once  into  service,  as  appears  from  the  company's  advertise- 
ment three  days  after  the  trial,  and  did  duty  on  the  Germantown 
road  and  others  for  over  a  score  of  years. 

The  "Ironsides"  was  a  four-wheeled  engine,  modeled  essen- 
tially on  the  English  practice  of  that  day,  as  shown  in  the 
"Planet"  class,  and  weighed,  in  running  order,  something  over 
five  tons.  The  rear  or  driving  wheels  were  fifty-four  inches  in 


THE  "OLD  IRONSIDES,"  1832 

diameter  on  a  crank  axle  placed  in  front  of  the  firebox.  The 
cranks  were  thirty-nine  inches  from  center  to  center.  The  front 
wheels,  which  were  simply  carrying  wheels,  were  forty-five  inches 
in  diameter,  on  an  axle  placed  just  back  of  the  cylinders.  The 
cylinders  were  nine  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter  by  eighteen 
inches  stroke,  and  were  attached  horizontally  to  the  outside  of 
the  smokebox,  which  was  D-shaped,  with  the  sides  receding 
inwardly,  so  as  to  bring  the  center  line  of  each  cylinder  in  line 
with  the  center  of  the  crank.  The  wheels  were  made  with  heavy 
cast-iron  hubs,  wooden  spokes  and  rims,  and  wrought-iron  tires. 
The  frame  was  of  wood,  placed  outside  the  wheels.  The  boiler 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  11 

was  thirty  inches  in  diameter,  and  contained  seventy-two  copper 
flues,  one  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter  and  seven  feet  long. 
The  tender  was  a  four-wheeled  platform,  with  wooden  sides  and 
back,  carrying  an  iron  box  for  a  water  tank,  inclosed  in  a  wooden 
casing,  and  with  a  space  for  fuel  in  front.  The  engine  had  no 
cab.  The  valve  motion  was  at  first  given  by  a  single  loose 
eccentric  for  each  cylinder,  placed  on  the  axle  between  the  crank 
and  the  hub  of  the  wheel.  On  the  inside  of  the  eccentric  was 
a  half-circular  slot,  running  half  way  around.  A  stop  was 
fastened  to  the  axle  at  the  arm  of  the  crank,  terminating  in  a 
pin  which  projected  into  the  slot.  The  engine  was  reversed  by 
changing  the  position  of  the  eccentric  on  the  axle  by  a  lever 
operated  from  the  footboard.  This  form  of  valve  motion  was, 
however,  shortly  afterward  changed,  and  a  single  fixed  eccentric 
for  each  cylinder  substituted.  The  rock  shafts,  which  were 
under  the  footboard,  had  arms  above  and  below,  and  the  eccen- 
tric straps  had  each  a  forked  rod,  with  a  hook,  or  an  upper  and 
lower  latch  or  pin,  at  their  extremities,  to  engage  with  the  upper 
or  lower  arm  of  the  rock  shaft.  The  eccentric  rods  were  raised 
or  lowered  by  a  double  treadle,  so  as  to  connect  with  the  upper 
or  lower  arm  of  the  rock  shaft,  according  as  forward  or  backward 
gear  was  desired.  A  peculiarity  in  the  exhaust  of  the  "Ironsides" 
was  that  there  was  only  a  single  straight  pipe  running  across  from 
one  cylinder  to  the  other,  with  an  opening  in  the  upper  side  of 
the  pipe,  midway  between  the  cylinders,  to  which  was  attached 
at  right  angles  the  perpendicular  pipe  into  the  chimney.  The 
cylinders,  therefore,  exhausted  against  each  other;  and  it  was 
found,  after  the  engine  had  been  put  in  use,  that  this  was  a 
serious  objection.  This  defect  was  afterward  remedied  by  turn- 
ing each  exhaust  pipe  upward  into  the  chimney  substantially 
as  it  is  now  done.  The  steam  joints  were  made  with  canvas 
and  red  lead,  as  was  the  practice  in  English  locomotives,  and  in 
consequence  much  trouble  was  caused,  from  time  to  time,  by 
leaking. 

The  price  of  the  engine  was  to  have  been  $4000,  but  some 
difficulty  was  found  in  procuring  a  settlement.  The  company 
claimed  that  the  engine  did  not  perform  according  to  contract; 
and  objection  was  also  made  to  some  of  the  defects  alluded  to. 


12  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

After  these  had  been  corrected  as  far  as  possible,  however,  Mr. 
Baldwin  finally  succeeded  in  effecting  a  compromise  settlement, 
and  received  from  the  Company  $3500  for  the  machine. 

The  results  of  the  trial  and  the  impression  produced  by  it  on 
the  public  mind  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  extracts 
from  the  newspapers  of  the  day : 

The   United  States  Gazette,  of  November  24,  1832,  remarked: 

"A  most  gratifying  experiment  was  made  yesterday  afternoon  on  the 
Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Norristown  Railroad.  The  beautiful  loco- 
motive engine  and  tender,  built  by  Mr.  Baldwin,  of  this  city,  whose  repu- 
tation as  an  ingenious  machinist  is  well  known,  were  for  the  first  time  placed 
on  the  road.  The  engine  traveled  about  six  miles,  working  with  perfect 
accuracy  and  ease  in  all  its  parts,  and  with  great  velocity." 

The  Chronicle  of  the  same  date  noticed  the  trial  more  at 
length,  as  follows: 

"It  gives  us  pleasure  to  state  that  the  locomotive  engine  built  by  our 
townsman,  M.  VV.  Baldwin,  has  proved  highly  successful.  In  the  presence  of 
several  gentlemen  of  science  and  information  on  such  subjects,  the  engine 
was  yesterday  placed  upon  the  road  for  the  first  time.  All  her  parts  had  been 
previously  highly  finished  and  fitted  together  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  factory.  She 
was  taken  apart  on  Tuesday,  and  removed  to  the  Company's  depot,  and 
yesterday  morning  she  was  completely  together,  ready  for  travel.  After 
the  regular  passenger  cars  had  arrived  from  Germantown  in  the  afternoon, 
the  tracks  being  clear,  preparation  was  made  for  her  starting.  The  placing 
fire  in  the  furnace  and  raising  steam  occupied  twenty  minutes.  The  engine 
(with  her  tender)  moved  from  the  depot  in  beautiful  style,  working  with 
great  ease  and  uniformity.  She  proceeded  about  half  a  mile  beyond  the 
Union  Tavern,  at  the  township  line,  and  returned  immediately,  a  distance 
of  six  miles,  at  a  speed  of  about  twenty-eight  miles  to  the  hour,  her  speed 
having  been  slackened  at  all  the  road  crossings,  and  it  being  after  dark,  but 
a  portion  of  her  power  was  used.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  spectators 
were  delighted.  From  this  experiment  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  this 
engine  will  draw  thirty  tons  gross,  at  an  average  speed  of  forty  miles  an  hour, 
on  a  level  road.  The  principal  superiority  of  the  engine  over  any  of  the 
English  ones  known  consists  in  the  light  weight — which  is  but  between  four 
and  five  tons — her  small  bulk,  and  the  simplicity  of  her  working  machinery. 
We  rejoice  at  the  result  of  this  experiment,  as  it  conclusively  shows  that 
Philadelphia,  always  famous  for  the  skill  of  her  mechanics,  is  enabled  to  pro- 
duce steam  engines  for  railroads  combining  so  many  superior  qualities  as  to 
warrant  the  belief  that  her  mechanics  will  hereafter  supply  nearly  all  the  public 
works  of  this  description  in  the  country." 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  13 

On  subsequent  trials,  the  "Ironsides"  attained  a  speed  of 
thirty  miles  per  hour,  with  its  usual  train  attached.  So  great 
were  the  wonder  and  curiosity  which  attached  to  such  a  prodigy, 
that  people  flocked  to  see  the  marvel,  and  eagerly  bought  the 
privilege  of  riding  after  the  strange  monster.  The  officers  of  the 
road  were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  the  public  interest  to 
increase  their  passenger  receipts,  and  the  following  advertisement 
from  Paulson's  American  Daily  Advertiser,  of  November  26, 
1832,  will  show  that  as  yet  they  regarded  the  new  machine  rather 
as  a  curiosity  and  a  bait  to  allure  travel  than  as  a  practical  every- 
day servant. 


I 


PHILADELPHIA,    OBRMANTOWN.    AND 
NORHISTOWN  RAIL-ROAD. 

LOCOMOTIVE   ENGINE. 

—  The  Locomotive   Engine,  (built  by 
M.  W.  Baldwin,  of  this  city,)   will   depart 
ILY,  when  the.weaiher  is  fair,  with  a  TBAIN  OF 
PASSENGER  CAHJS,  commencing  cm  Mondav  the  26ib 
inst.,  at  the  following  hours,  viz:—. 

FBOM  'PailADBLFlUA.  •      I      SUOM  GEBMAHTOWK. 

At  11  o'clock,  A»  M.    I      At  1  2  o'clock    M. 
)"    I  o'clock,  H.  M.    f       "    2  o'clock.  P.  M. 
3  o'clock,  P.  M.     I       »    4  o'clock,  P.  M. 


The  Cars  drawn    by    hor 


epart 


usual,  from  Philadelphia  at  9  o'clock,  A.  M., 
from  Geriaantown  at  !0  o'clock,  A,  M.,  and  at  the 
above  mentioned  hours  when  the  weather  it  not  fair. 
The  points  of  starting,  are  from  the  Depot,  at  the 
corner  of  Green  and  Ninth  street,,  Philadelphia;  and 
From  the  Main  street,  near  *he  centre,  of  (ierroan- 
town.  Whole  Cars  can  be  tdkea.  Tickets,  25 
eents.  nov  24«3t 


This  announcement  did  not  mean  that  in  wet  weather  horses 
•would  be  attached  to  the  locomotive  to  aid  it  in  drawing  the  train, 
but  that  the  usual  horse  cars  would  be  employed  in  making  the 
trips  upon  the  road  without  the  engine. 

Upon  making  the  first  trip  to  Germantown  with  a  passenger 
train  with  the  "Ironsides,"  one  of  the  drivers  slipped  upon  the 
axle,  causing  the  wheels  to  track  less  than  the  gauge  of  the  road 
and  drop  in  between  the  rails.  It  was  also  discovered  that  the 


14  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

valve  arrangement  of  the  pumps  was  defective,  and  they  failed 
to  supply  the  boiler  with  water.  The  shifting  of  the  driving 
wheel  upon  the  axle  fastened  the  eccentric,  so  that  it  would  not 
operate  in  backward  motion.  These  mishaps  caused  delay,  and 
prevented  the  engine  from  reaching  its  destination,  to  the  great 
disappointment  of  all  concerned.  They  were  corrected  in  a  few 
days,  and  the  machine  was  used  in  experimenting  upon  its 
efficiency,  making  occasional  trips  with  trains  to  Germantown. 
The  road  had  an  ascending  grade,  nearly  uniform,  of  thirty-two 
feet  per  mile,  and  for  the  last  half  mile  of  forty-five  feet  per  mile, 
and  it  was  found  that  the  engine  was  too  light  for  the  business 
of  the  road  upon  these  grades. 

Such  was  Mr.  Baldwin's  first  locomotive;  and  it  is  related  of 
him  that  his  discouragement  at  the  difficulties  which  he  had 
undergone  in  building  it,  and  in  finally  procuring  a  settlement  for 
it,  was  such  that  he  remarked  to  one  of  his  friends,  with  much 
decision,  "That  is  our  last  locomotive." 

It  was  some  time  before  he  received  an  order  for  another,  but 
meanwhile  the  subject  had  become  singularly  fascinating  to  him, 
and  occupied  his  mind  so  fully  that  he  was  eager  to  work  out  his 
new  ideas  in  a  tangible  form. 

Shortly  after  the  "Ironsides"  had  been  placed  on  the  Ger- 
mantown road,  Mr.  E.  L.  Miller,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  came  to 
Philadelphia  and  made  a  careful  examination  of 
the  machine.    Mr.  Miller  had,  in  1830,  contracted 
to  furnish  a  locomotive  to  the  Charleston  and 
Hamburg  Railroad   Company,  and  accordingly 
the  engine  "Best  Friend"  had  been  built  under 
his  direction  at  the  West  Point  Foundry,  New 
York.    After  inspecting  the  "Ironsides,"  he  sug- 
gested to  Mr.  Baldwin  to  visit  the  Mohawk  and 
Hudson  Railroad,  and  examine  an  English  loco- 
motive which  had  been  placed  on  that  road  in 
July,  1831,  by  Messrs.  Robert  Stephenson  &  Co., 
of  Newcastle,  England.     It  was  originally  a  four- 
HALF-CRANK        wheeled  engine  of  the  "Planet"  type,  with  hori- 
zontal cylinders  and  crank  axle.    The  front  wheels  of  this  engine 
were  removed  about  a  year  after  the  machine  was  put  at  work, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN*    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


15 


and  a  four-wheeled  swiveling  or  "bogie"  truck  substituted.  The 
result  of  Mr.  Baldwin's  investigations  was  the  adoption  of  this 
design,  but  with  some  important  improvements.  Among  these 
was  the  "half-crank,"  which  he  devised  on  his  return  from  this 
trip,  and  which  he  patented  September  10,  1834.  In  this  form 
of  crank,  the  outer  arm  is  omitted,  and  the  wrist  is  fixed  in  a 
spoke  of  the  wheel.  In  other  words,  the  wheel  itself  formed  one 
arm  of  the  crank.  The  result  sought  and  gained  was  that  the 
cranks  were  strengthened,  and,  being  at  the  extremities  of  the 
axle,  the  boiler  could  be  made  larger  in  diameter  and  placed 
lower.  The  driving  axle  could  also  be  placed  back  of  the  fire- 
box; the  connecting  rods  passing  by  the  sides  of  the  firebox 
and  taking  hold  inside  of  the  wheels.  This  arrangement  of  the 
crank  also  involved  the  placing  of  the  cylinders  outside  the 
smokebox,  as  was  done  on  the  "Ironsides." 

By  the  time  the  order  for  the  second  locomotive  was  received, 
Mr.  Baldwin  had  matured  this  device  and  was  prepared  to 
embody  it  in  practical  form.  The  order  came  from  Mr.  E.  L. 
Miller,  in  behalf  of  the 
Charleston  and  Hamburg 
Railroad  Company,  and  the 
engine  bore  his  name,  and 
was  completed  February  18, 
1834.  It  was  on  six  wheels ; 
one  pair  being  drivers,  four 
and  one-half  feet  in  diam- 
eter, with  half-crank  axle 
placed  back  of  the  firebox 
as  above  described,  and  the 
four  front  wheels  combined 
in  a  swiveling  truck.  The  driving  wheels,  it  should  be  observed, 
were  cast  in  solid  bell  metal.  The  combined  wood  and  iron 
wheels  used  on  the  "Ironsides"  had  proved  objectionable, 
and  Mr.  Baldwin,  in  his  endeavors  to  find  a  satisfactory  sub- 
stitute, had  recourse  to  brass.  June  29,  1833,  he  took  out  a  patent 
for  a  cast-brass  wheel,  his  idea  being  that  by  varying  the  hardness 
of  the  metal  the  adhesion  of  the  drivers  on  the  rails  could  be 
increased  or  diminished  at  will.  The  brass  wheels  on  the  "Miller," 


BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE,  1834 


16  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


however,  soon  wore  out,  and  the  experiment  with  this  metal  was 
not  repeated.  The  "E.  L.  Miller"  had  cylinders  ten  inches  in 
diameter;  stroke  of  piston,  sixteen  inches;  and  weighed,  with 
water  in  the  boiler,  seven  tons  eight  hundred-weight.  The 
boiler  had  a  high  dome  over  the  firebox;  and  this  form  of  con- 
struction, it  may  be  noted,  was  followed,  with  a  few  exceptions, 
for  many  years. 

The  valve  motion  was  given  by  a  single  fixed  eccentric  for 
each  cylinder.  Each  eccentric  strap  had  two  arms  attached  to 
it,  one  above  and  the  other  below,  and,  as  the  driving  axle  was 
back  of  the  firebox,  these  arms  were  prolonged  backward  under 
the  footboard,  with  a  hook  on  the  inner  side  of  the  end  of  each. 
The  rock  shaft  had  arms  above  and  below  its  axis,  and  the  hooks 
of  the  two  rods  of  each  eccentric  were  moved  by  hand  levers 
so  as  to  engage  with  either  arm,  thus  producing  backward  or 
forward  gear.  This  form  of  single  eccentric,  peculiar  to  Mr. 
Baldwin,  was  in  the  interest  of  simplicity  in  the  working  parts, 
and  was  adhered  to  for  some  years.  It  gave  rise  to  an  animated 
controversy  among  mechanics  as  to  whether,  with  its  use,  it  was 
possible  to  get  a  lead  on  the  valve  in  both  directions.  Many 
maintained  that  this  was  impracticable;  but  Mr.  Baldwin  demon- 
strated by  actual  experience  that  the  reverse  was  the  case. 

Meanwhile  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania  had  given 
Mr.  Baldwin  an  order  for  a  locomotive  for  the  State  Road,  as  it 
was  then  called,  from  Philadelphia  to  Columbia,  which,  up  to  that 
time,  had  been  worked  by  horses.  This  engine,  called  the  "Lan- 
caster," was  completed  in  June,  1834.  It  was  similar  to  the 
"Miller,"  and  weighed  seventeen  thousand  pounds.  After  it 
was  placed  in  service,  the  records  show  that  it  hauled  at  one  time 
nineteen  loaded  burden  cars  over  the  highest  grades  between 
Philadelphia  and  Columbia.  This  was  characterized  at  that  time 
by  the  officers  of  the  road  as  an  "unprecedented  performance." 
The  success  of  the  machine  on  its  trial  trips  was  such  that  the 
Legislature  decided  to  adopt  steam  power  for  working  the  road , 
and  Mr.  Baldwin  received  orders  for  several  additional  locomo- 
tives. Two  others  were  accordingly  delivered  to  the  State  in 
September  and  November  respectively  of  that  year,  and  one  was 
also  built  and  delivered  to  the  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  Railroad 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


17 


Company  during  the  same  season.  This  latter  engine,  which  was 
put  in  service  October  21,  1834,  averaged  twenty-one  thousand 
miles  per  year  to  September  15,  1840. 

Five  locomotives  were  thus  completed  in  1834,  and  the  new 
business  was  fairly  under  way.  The  building  in  Lodge  Alley,  to 
which  Mr.  Baldwin  had  removed  from  Minor  Street,  and  where 


BALDWIN  COMPOUND  WOOD  AND  IRON  WHEELS,  1834 

these  engines  were  constructed,  began  to  be  found  too  contracted, 
and  another  removal  was  decided  upon.  A  location  on  Broad 
and  Hamilton  Streets  (the  site,  in  part,  of  the  present  works) 
was  selected,  and  a  three-story  L-shaped  brick  building,  fronting 
on  both  streets,  erected.  This  was  completed  and  the  business 
removed  to  it  during  the  following  year  (1835).  Mr.  Baldwin's 
stationary  engine,  described  on  page  8,  was  placed  in  service  in 


18  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

the  new  shop  by  Mr.  Andrew  C.  Vauclain,  father  of  Mr.  Samuel 
M.  Vauclain,  who  is  now  President  of  the  Company.  The 
original  building  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire  in  1884,  and  was 
replaced  by  a  four-story  brick  structure. 

These  early  locomotives,  built  in  1834,  were  the  types  of  Mr. 
Baldwin's  practice  for  some  years.  All,  or  nearly  all  of  them, 
embraced  several  important  devices,  which  were  the  results  of 
his  study  and  experiments  up  to  that  time.  The  devices  referred 
to  were  patented  September  10,  1834,  and  the  same  patent 
covered  the  following  four  inventions,  viz.: 

1.  The  half-crank,  and  method  of  attaching  it  to  the  driving 
wheel.     (This  has  already  been  described.) 

2.  A  new  mode  of  constructing  the  wheels  of  locomotive 
engines  and  cars.     In  this  the  hub  and  spokes  were  of  cast  iron, 
cast  together.     The  spokes  were  cast  without  a  rim,  and  ter- 
minated in  segment  flanges,  each  spoke  having  a  separate  flange 
disconnected  from  its  neighbors.    By  this  means,  it  was  claimed, 
the  injurious  effect  of  the  unequal  expansion  of  the  materials 
composing  the  wheels  was  lessened  or  altogether  prevented.    The 
flanges  bore  against  wooden  felloes,  made  in  two  thicknesses,  and 
put  together  so  as  to  break  joints.     Tenons  or  pins  projected 
from  the  flanges  into  openings  made  in  the  wooden  felloes,  to 
keep  them  in  place.     Around  the  whole  the  tire  was  passed  and 
secured  by  bolts.    The  sketch  on  page  17  shows  the  device. 

3.  A  new  mode  of  forming  the  joints  of  steam  and  other 
tubes.     This  was  Mr.  Baldwin's  invention  of  ground  joints  for 
steam  pipes,  which  was  a  very  valuable  improvement  over  pre- 
vious methods  of  making  joints  with   red-lead   packing,   and 
which  rendered  it  possible  to  carry  a  much  higher  pressure  of 
steam. 

4.  A  new  mode  of  forming  the  joints  and  other  parts  of  the 
supply  pump,  and  of  locating  the  pump  itself.    This  invention 
consisted  in  making  the  single  guide  bar  hollow  and  using  it  for 
the  pump  barrel.    The  pump  plunger  was  attached  to  the  piston 
rod  at  a  socket  or  sleeve  formed  for  the  purpose,  and  the  hol- 
low guide  bar  terminated  in  the  vertical  pump  chamber.    This 
chamber  was  made  in  two  pieces,  joined  about  midway  between 
the  induction  and  eduction  pipes.    This  joint  was  ground  steam- 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


19 


tight,  as  were  also  the  joints  of  the  induction  pipe  with  the 
bottom  of  the  lower  chamber,  and  the  flange  of  the  eduction  pipe 
with  the  top  of  the  upper  chamber.  All  these  parts  were  held 
together  by  a  stirrup  with  a  set-screw  in  its  arched  top,  and  the 
arrangement  was  such  that  by  simply  unscrewing  this  set-screw 
the  different  sections  of  the  chamber,  with  all  the  valves,  could 
be  taken  apart  for  cleaning  or  adjusting.  The  cut  below  illus- 
trates the  device. 

It  is  probable  that  the  five  engines  built  during  1834  em- 
bodied all,  or  nearly  all,  these  devices.     They  all  had  the  half- 


PUMP  AND  STIRRUP 


crank,  the  ground  joints  for  steam  pipes  (which  were  first  made 
by  Mr.  Baldwin  in  1833),  and  the  pump  formed  in  the  guide  bar, 
and  all  had  the  four-wheeled  truck  in  front,  and  a  single  pair  of 
drivers  back  of  the  firebox.  On  this  position  of  the  driving 
wheels  Mr.  Baldwin  laid  great  stress,  as  it  made  a  more  even 
distribution  of  the  weight,  throwing  about  one-half  on  the  drivers 
and  one-half  on  the  four-wheeled  truck.  It  also  extended  the 
wheel  base,  making  the  engine  much  steadier  and  less  damaging 
to  the  track.  Mr.  William  Norris,  who  had  established  a  loco- 
motive works  in  Philadelphia  in  1832,  was  at  this  time  building 
a  six-wheeled  engine  with  a  truck  in  front  and  the  driving  wheels 


20  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

placed  in  front  of  the  firebox.  Considerable  rivalry  naturally 
existed  between  the  two  manufacturers  as  to  the  comparative 
merits  of  their  respective  plans.  In  Mr.  Norris'  engine,  the  posi- 
tion of  the  driving  axle  in  front  of  the  firebox  threw  on  it  more 
of  the  weight  of  the  engine,  and  thus  increased  the  adhesion  and 
the  tractive  power.  Mr.  Baldwin,  however,  maintained  the 
superiority  of  his  plan,  as  giving  a  better  distribution  of  the  weight 
and  a  longer  wheel  base,  and  consequently  rendering  the  machine 
less  destructive  to  the  track.  As  the  iron  rails  then  in  use  were 
generally  light,  and  much  of  the  track  was  of  wood,  this  feature 
was  of  some  importance. 

To  the  use  of  the  ground  joint  for  steam  pipes,  however, 
much  of  the  success  of  his  early  engines  was  due.  The  English 
builders  were  making  locomotives  with  canvas  and  red-lead  joints, 
permitting  a  steam  pressure  of  only  sixty  pounds  per  square  inch 
to  be  carried,  while  Mr.  Baldwin's  machines  were  worked  at  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds  with  ease.  Several  locomotives 
imported  from  England  at  about  this  period  by  the  Common- 
wealth of  Pennsylvania  for  the  State  Road  (three  of  which  were 
made  by  Stephenson)  had  canvas  and  red-lead  joints,  and  their 
efficiency  was  so  much  less  than  that  of  the  Baldwin  engines, 
on  account  of  this  and  other  features  of  construction,  that  they 
were  soon  laid  aside  or  sold. 

In  June,  1834,  a  patent  was  issued  to  Mr.  E.  L.  Miller,  by 
whom  Mr.  Baldwin's  second  engine  was  ordered,  for  a  method  of 
increasing  the  adhesion  of  a  locomotive  by  throwing  a  part  of  the 
weight  of  the  tender  on  the  rear  of  the  engine,  thus  increasing 
the  weight  on  the  drivers.  Mr.  Baldwin  adopted  this  device 
on  an  engine  built  for  the  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  Railroad 
Company,  May,  1835,  and  thereafter  used  it  largely,  paying  one 
hundred  dollars  royalty  for  each  engine.  Eventually  (May  6, 
1839)  he  bought  the  patent  for  nine  thousand  dollars,  evidently 
considering  that  the  device  was  especially  valuable,  if  not  indis- 
pensable, in  order  to  render  his  engine  as  powerful,  when  required, 
as  other  patterns  having  the  driving  wheels  in  front  of  the  fire- 
box, and  therefore  utilizing  more  of  the  weight  of  the  engine  for 
adhesion. 

In  making  the  truck  and  tender  wheels  of  these  early  locomo- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  21 

tives,  the  hubs  were  cast  in  three  pieces  and  afterward  banded 
with  wrought  iron,  the  interstices  being  filled  with  spelter.  This 
method  of  construction  was  adopted  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
then  found  in  casting  a  chilled  wheel  in  one  solid  piece. 

Early  in  1835,  the  new  shop  on  Broad  Street  was  completed 
and  occupied.  Mr.  Baldwin's  attention  was  thenceforward  given 
to  locomotive  building  exclusively,  except  that  a  stationary 
engine  was  occasionally  constructed. 

In  May,  1835,  his  eleventh  locomotive,  the  "Black  Hawk," 
was  delivered  to  the  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  Railroad  Com- 
pany. This  was  the  first  outside-connected  engine  of  his  build. 
It  was  also  the  first  engine  on  which  the  Miller  device  of  attach- 
ing part  of  the  weight  of  the  tender  to  the  engine  was  employed. 
On  the  eighteenth  engine,  the  "Brandywine,"  built  for  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Columbia  Railroad  Company,  brass  tires  were  used 
on  the  driving  wheels,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  more  adhesion ; 
but  they  wore  out  rapidly  and  were  replaced  with  iron. 

April  3,  1835,  Mr.  Baldwin  took  out  a  patent  for  certain  im- 
provements in  the  wheels  and  tubes  of  locomotive  engines.  That 
relating  to  the  wheels  provided  for  casting  the  hub  and  spokes 
together,  and  having  the  spokes  terminate  in  segments  of  a  rim, 
as  described  in  his  patent  of  September  10,  1834.  Between  the 
ends  of  the  spokes  and  the  tires,  wood  was  interposed,  and  the 
tire  might  be  either  of  wrought  iron  or  of  chilled  cast  iron.  The 
intention  was  expressed  of  making  the  tire  usually  of  cast  iron 
chilled.  The  main  object,  however,  was  declared  to  be  the  inter- 
position between  the  spokes  and  the  rim  of  a  layer  of  wood  or 
other  substance  possessing  some  degree  of  elasticity.  This 
method  of  making  driving  wheels  was  followed  for  several  years, 
the  tires  being  made  with  a  shoulder.  See  illustration  on  page  22. 

The  improvement  in  locomotive  tubes  consisted  in  driving  a 
copper  ferrule  or  thimble  on  the  outside  of  the  end  of  the  tube, 
and  soldering  it  in  place,  instead  of  driving  a  ferrule  into  the 
tube  as  had  previously  been  the  practice.  The  object  of  the  latter 
method  had  been  to  make  a  tight  joint  with  the  tube  sheet;  but 
by  putting  the  ferrule  on  the  outside  of  the  tube,  not  only  was 
the  joint  made  as  tight  as  before,  but  the  tube  was  strengthened, 
and  left  unobstructed  throughout  to  the  full  extent  of  its  diam- 


22 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


eter.  This  method  of  setting  flues  has  been  generally  followed  in 
the  Works  from  that  date  to  the  present,  the  only  difference 
being  that,  at  this  time,  with  iron  or  steel  tubes,  the  end  is 
swedged  down,  the  copper  ferrule  brazed  on,  and  the  end  of  the 
tube  turned  or  riveted  over  against  the  copper  thimble  and  the 
flue  sheet  to  make  the  joint  perfect. 


DRIVING  WHEELS,  PATENTED  SEPTEMBER,  1834 

Fourteen  engines  were  constructed  in  1835;  forty  in  1836; 
forty  in  1837;  twenty-three  in  1838;  twenty-six  in  1839,  and 
nine  in  1840.  During  all  these  years  the  general  design  con- 
tinued the  same;  but,  in  compliance  with  the  demand  for  more 
power,  three  sizes  were  furnished,  as  follows: 

First  class—  Cylinders,  12^  X  16;  weight  loaded,  26,000  pounds. 
Second  class—      "          12      X  16;       "  "       23,000       " 

Third  class—        "          10K  X  16;       "  "       20,000       " 

Mr.  Baldwin  fully  believed,  in  1838,  that  the  first  class 
engine  was  as  heavy  as  would  be  called  for,  and  he  declared  that 
it  was  as  large  as  he  intended  to  make.  Most  of  the  engines 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  23 

were  built  with  the  half-crank,  but  occasionally  an  outside-con- 
nected machine  was  turned  out.  These  latter,  however,  failed 
to  give  as  complete  satisfaction  as  the  half-crank  machine.  The 
drivers  were  generally  four  and  one-half  feet  in  diameter. 

A  patent  was  issued  to  Mr.  Baldwin,  August  17,  1835,  for 
his  device  of  cylindrical  pedestals.  In  this  method  of  con- 
struction, the  pedestal  was  of  cast  iron,  and  was  bored  in  a  lathe 
so  as  to  form  two  concave  jaws.  The  boxes  were  also  turned  in 
a  lathe  so  that  their  vertical  ends  were  cylindrical,  and  they  were 
thus  fitted  in  the  pedestals.  This  method  of  fitting  up  pedestals 
and  boxes  was  cheap  and  effective,  and  was  used  for  some  years 
for  the  driving  and  tender  wheels. 

As  showing  the  estimation  in  which  these  early  engines  were 
held,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  refer  to  the  opinions  of  some 
of  the  railroad  managers  of  that  period. 

Mr.  L.  A.  Sykes,  engineer  of  the  New  Jersey  Transportation 
Company,  under  date  of  June  12,  1838,  wrote  that  he  could  draw 
with  his  engines  twenty  four-wheeled  cars  with  twenty-six  pass- 
engers each,  at  a  speed  of  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles  per  hour, 
over  grades  of  twenty-six  feet  per  mile.  "As  to  simplicity  of 
construction,"  he  adds,  "small  liability  to  get  out  of  order, 
economy  of  repairs,  and  ease  to  the  road,  I  fully  believe  Mr. 
Baldwin's  engines  stand  unrivalled.  I  consider  the  simplicity  of 
the  engine,  the  arrangement  of  the  working  parts,  and  the  distri- 
bution of  the  weight,  far  superior  to  any  engine  I  have  ever  seen, 
either  of  American  or  English  manufacture,  and  I  have  not  the 
least  hesitation  in  saying  that  Mr.  Baldwin's  engine  will  do  the 
same  amount  of  work  with  much  less  repairs,  either  to  the  engine 
or  the  track,  than  any  other  engine  in  use." 

L.  G.  Cannon,  President  of  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga 
Railroad  Company,  writes:  "Your  engines  will,  in  performance 
and  cost  of  repairs,  bear  comparison  with  any  other  engine  made 
in  this  or  any  other  country." 

Some  of  Mr.  Baldwin's  engines  on  the  State  Road,  in  1837, 
cost,  for  repairs,  only  from  one  and  two-tenths  to  one  and 
six-tenths  cents  per  mile.  It  is  noted  that  the  engine  "West 
Chester,"  on  the  same  road,  weighing  twenty  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  thirty-five  pounds  (ten  thousand  four  hundred  and 


24  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

seventy-five  on  drivers),  drew  fifty-one  cars  (four-wheeled), 
weighing  two  hundred  and  eighty-nine  net  tons,  over  the  road, 
some  of  the  track  being  of  wood  covered  with  strap-rail. 

The  financial  difficulties  of  1836  and  1837,  which  brought 
ruin  upon  so  many,  did  not  leave  Mr.  Baldwin  unscathed.  His 
embarrassments  became  so  great  that  he  was  unable  to  proceed, 
and  was  forced  to  call  his  creditors  together  for  a  settlement. 
After  offering  to  surrender  all  his  property,  his  shop,  tools,  house 
and  everything,  if  they  so  desired — all  of  which  would  realize 
only  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  their  claims — he  proposed 
to  them  that  they  should  permit  him  to  go  on  with  the  business, 
and  in  three  years  he  would  pay  the  full  amount  of  all  claims, 
principal  and  interest.  This  was  finally  acceded  to,  and  the 
promise  was  in  effect  fulfilled,  although  not  without  an  extension 
of  two  years  beyond  the  time  originally  proposed. 

In  May,  1837,  the  number  of  hands  employed  was  three 
hundred,  but  this  number  was  reduced  weekly,  owing  to  the 
falling  off  in  the  demand  for  engines. 

These  financial  troubles  had  their  effect  on  the  demand  for 
locomotives,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  decrease  in  the  number  built 
in  1838,  1839  and  1840;  and  this  result  was  furthered  by  the 
establishment  of  several  other  locomotive  works,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  other  patterns  of  engines. 

The  changes  and  improvements  in  details  made  during  these 
years  may  be  summed  up  as  follows: 

The  subject  of  burning  anthracite  coal  had  engaged  much 
attention.  In  October,  1836,  Mr.  Baldwin  secured  a  patent  for  a 
grate  or  fireplace  which  could  be  detached  from  the  engine  at 
pleasure,  and  a  new  one  with  a  fresh  coal  fire  substituted.  The 
intention  was  to  have  the  grate  with  freshly  ignited  coal  all  ready 
for  the  engine  on  its  arrival  at  a  station,  and  placed  between  the 
rails  over  suitable  levers,  by  which  it  could  be  attached  quickly 
to  the  firebox.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  was  never  prac- 
ticed. In  January,  1838,  however,  Mr.  Baldwin  was  experiment- 
ing with  the  consumption  of  coal  on  the  German  town  road,  and  in 
July  of  the  same  year  the  records  show  that  he  was  making  a 
locomotive  to  burn  coal,  part  of  the  arrangement  being  to  blow 
the  fire  with  a  fan. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  25 

The  first  locomotives  for  export  were  built  during  this  year. 
They  were  shipped  to  Cuba,  to  the  order  of  Alfred  Cruger,  and 
bore  the  builder's  numbers  104  and  105.  These  locomotives  were 
completed  in  the  spring  and  summer,  and  were  followed  by  a 
third  later  in  the  year. 

Up  to  1838,  Mr.  Baldwin  had  made  both  driving  and  truck 
wheels  with  wrought  tires,  but  during  that  year  chilled  wheels 
for  engine  and  tender  trucks  were  adopted.  His  tires  were 
furnished  by  Messrs.  S.  Vail  &  Son,  Morristown,  N.  J.,  who 
made  the  only  tires  then  obtainable  in  America.  They  were 
very  thin,  being  only  one  inch  to  one  and  one-half  inches  thick; 
and  Mr.  Baldwin,  in  importing  some  tires  from  England  at  that 
time,  insisted  on  their  being  made  double  the  ordinary  thickness. 
The  manufacturers  at  first  objected  and  ridiculed  the  idea,  the 
practice  being  to  use  two  tires  when  extra  thickness  was  wanted, 
but  finally  they  consented  to  meet  his  requirements. 

All  his  engines  thus  far  had  the  single  eccentric  for  each 
valve,  but  at  about  this  period  double  eccentrics  were  adopted, 
each  terminating  in  a  straight  hook,  and  reversed  by  hand  levers. 

At  this  early  period,  Mr.  Baldwin  had  begun  to  feel  the 
necessity  of  making  all  like  parts  of  locomotives  of  the  same  class 
in  such  manner  as  to  be  absolutely  interchangeable.  Steps  were 
taken  in  this  direction,  but  it  was  not  until  many  years  after- 
ward that  the  system  of  standard  gauges  was  perfected,  which 
soon  became  a  distinguishing  feature  in  the  establishment. 

In  March,  1839,  Mr.  Baldwin's  records  show  that  he  was 
building  a  number  of  outside-connected  engines,  and  had  suc- 
ceeded in  making  them  strong  and  durable.  He  was  also  making 
a  new  chilled  wheel,  and  one  whichjie  thought  would  not  break. 

On  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-sixth  locomotive,  completed 
October  18,  1839,  for  the  Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Norris- 
town  Railroad,  the  old  pattern  of  wooden  frame  was  abandoned, 
and  no  outside  frame  whatever  was  employed — the  machinery, 
as  well  as  the  truck  and  the  pedestals  of  the  driving  axles,  being 
attached  directly  to  the  naked  boiler.  The  wooden  frame  thence- 
forward disappeared  gradually,  and  an  iron  frame  took  its  place. 
Another  innovation  was  the  adoption  of  eight-wheeled  tenders, 
the  first  of  which  was  built  at  about  this  period. 


26  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

On  April  8, 1839,  Mr.  Baldwin  associated  with  himself  Messrs. 
Vail  &  Hufty,  and  the  business  was  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  Baldwin,  Vail  &  Hufty  until  1841,  when  Mr.  Hufty  with- 
drew, and  Baldwin  &  Vail  continued  the  copartnership  until  1842. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  the  increase  of  business  on 
railroads  demanded  more  powerful  locomotives.  It  had  for  some 
years  been  felt  that  for  freight  traffic  the  engine  with  one  pair  of 
drivers  was  insufficient.  Mr.  Baldwin's  engine  had  the  single 
pair  of  drivers  placed  back  of  the  firebox;  that  made  by  Mr. 
Norris,  one  pair  in  front  of  the  firebox.  An  engine  with  two 
pairs  of  drivers,  one  pair  in  front  and  one  pair  behind  the  firebox, 
was  the  next  logical  step,  and  Mr.  Henry  R.  Campbell,  of  Phila- 
delphia, was  the  first  to  carry  this  design  into  execution.  Mr. 
Campbell  was  the  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Germantown  Railroad 
when  the  "Ironsides"  was  placed  on  that  line,  and  had  since 
given  much  attention  to  the  subject  of  locomotive  construction. 
February  5,  1836,  Mr.  Campbell  secured  a  patent  for  an  eight- 
wheeled  engine  with  four  drivers  connected,  and  a  four-wheeled 
truck  in  front;  and  subsequently  contracted  with  James  Brooks, 
of  Philadelphia,  to  build  for  him  such  a  machine.  The  work 
was  begun  March  16,  1836,  and  the  engine  was  completed 
May  8,  1837.  This  was  the  first  eight-wheeled  engine  of  this 
design,  and  from  it  the  American  type  locomotive  of  today 
takes  its  origin.  The  engine  lacked,  however,  one  essential 
feature;  there  were  no  equalizing  beams  between  the  drivers, 
and  nothing  but  the  ordinary  steel  springs  over  each  journal 
of  the  driving  axles  to  equalize  the  weight  upon  them.  It 
remained  for  Messrs.  Eastwick  &  Harrison  to  supply  this 
deficiency;  and  in  1837  that  firm  constructed  at  their  shop  in 
Philadelphia,  a  locomotive  on  this  plan,  but  with  the  driving 
axles  running  in  a  separate  square  frame,  connected  to  the  main 
frame  above  it  by  a  single  central  bearing  on  each  side.  This 
engine  had  cylinders  twelve  by  eighteen,  four  coupled  driving 
wheels,  forty-four  inches  in  diameter,  carrying  eight  of  the  twelve 
tons  constituting  the  total  weight.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Joseph 
Harrison,  Jr.,  of  the  same  firm,  substituted  "equalizing  beams" 
on  engines  of  this  plan  afterward  constructed  by  them,  sub- 
stantially in  the  same  manner  as  since  generally  employed. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  27 

In  the  American  Railroad  Journal  of  July  30,  1836,  a  wood- 
cut showing  Mr.  Campbell's  engine,  together  with  an  elaborate 
calculation  of  the  effective  power  of  an  engine  on  this  plan,  by 
William  J.  Lewis,  Esq.,  Civil  Engineer,  was  published,  with  a 
table  showing  its  performance  upon  grades  ranging  from  a  dead 
level  to  a  rise  of  one  hundred  feet  per  mile.  Mr.  Campbell 
stated  that  his  experience  at  that  time  (1835-36)  convinced  him 
that  grades  of  one  hundred  feet  rise  per  mile  would,  if  roads 
were  judiciously  located,  carry  railroads  over  any  of  the  moun- 
tain passes  in  America,  without  the  use  of  planes  with  stationary 
steam  power,  or,  as  a  general  rule,  of  costly  tunnels — an  opinion 
very  extensively  verified  by  the  experience  of  the  country  since 
that  date. 

A  step  had  thus  been  taken  toward  a  plan  of  locomotive 
having  more  adhesive  power.  Mr.  Baldwin,  however,  was  slow 
to  adopt  the  new  design.  He  naturally  regarded  innovations 
with  distrust.  He  had  done  much  to  perfect  the  old  pattern  of 
engine,  and  had  built  over  a  hundred  of  them,  which  were  in  suc- 
cessful operation  on  various  railroads.  Many  of  the  details  were 
the  subjects  of  his  several  patents,  and  had  been  greatly  simplified 
in  his  practice.  In  fact,  simplicity  in  all  the  working  parts  had 
been  so  largely  his  aim,  that  it  was  natural  that  he  should 
distrust  any  plan  involving  additional  machinery,  and  he  regarded 
the  new  design  as  only  an  experiment  at  best.  In  November, 
1838,  he  wrote  to  a  correspondent  that  he  did  not  think  there 
was  any  advantage  in  the  eight-wheeled  engine.  There  being 
three  points  in  contact,  it  could  not  turn  a  curve,  he  argued, 
without  slipping  one  or  the  other  pair  of  wheels  sideways. 
Another  objection  was  in  the  multiplicity  of  machinery  and  the 
difficulty  in  maintaining  four  driving  wheels  all  of  exactly  the 
same  size.  Some  means,  however,  of  getting  more  adhesion 
must  be  had,  and  the  result  of  his  reflections  upon  this  subject 
was  the  project  of  a  "geared  engine."  In  August,  1839,  he 
took  steps  to  secure  a  patent  for  such  a  machine,  and  December 
31,  1840,  letters  patent  were  granted  him  for  the  device.  In  this 
engine  an  independent  shaft  or  axle  was  placed  between  the  two 
axles  of  the  truck,  and  connected  by  cranks  and  coupling  rods 
with  cranks  on  the  outside  of  the  driving  wheels.  This  shaft 


28  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

had  a  central  cog-wheel  engaging  on  each  side  with  intermediate 
cog-wheels,  which  in  turn  geared  into  cog-wheels  on  each  truck 
axle.  The  intermediate  cog-wheels  had  wide  teeth,  so  that  the 
truck  could  pivot  while  the  main  shaft  remained  parallel  with  the 
driving  axle.  The  diameters  of  the  cog-wheels  were,  of  course, 
in  such  proportion  to  the  driving  and  truck  wheels  that  the 
latter  should  revolve  as  much  oftener  than  the  drivers  as  their 
smaller  size  might  require.  Of  the  success  of  this  machine  for 
freight  service,  Mr.  Baldwin  was  very  sanguine.  One  was 
put  in  hand  at  once,  completed  in  August,  1841,  and  eventually 
sold  to  the  Sugarloaf  Coal  Company.  It  was  an  inside-con- 
nected engine,  weighing  thirty  thousand  pounds,  of  which  eleven 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds  were  on  the 
drivers,  and  eighteen  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty-five  on 
the  truck.  The  driving  wheels  were  forty-four  and  the  truck 
wheels  thirty-three  inches  in  diameter.  The  cylinders  were  thir- 
teen inches  in  diameter  by  sixteen  inches  stroke.  On  a  trial  of 
the  engine  upon  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  it  hauled 
five  hundred  and  ninety  tons  from  Reading  to  Philadelphia — 
a  distance  of  fifty-four  miles — in  five  hours  and  twenty-two 
minutes.  The  superintendent  of  the  road,  in  writing  of  the 
trial,  remarked  that  this  train  was  unprecedented  in  length 
and  weight  both  in  America  and  Europe.  The  performance 
was  noticed  in  favorable  terms  by  the  Philadelphia  newspapers, 
and  was  made  the  subject  of  a  report  by  the  Committee  on 
Science  and  Arts  of  the  Franklin  Institute,  who  strongly  recom- 
mended this  plan  of  engine  for  freight  service.  The  success 
of  the  trial  led  Mr.  Baldwin  at  first  to  believe  that  the  geared 
engine  would  be  generally  adopted  for  freight  traffic;  but  in 
this  he  was  disappointed.  No  further  demand  was  made  for 
such  machines,  and  no  more  of  them  were  built. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Baldwin  received  an  order,  through  August 
Belmont,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  for  a  locomotive  for  Austria,  and 
had  nearly  completed  one  which  was  calculated  to  do  the  work 
required,  when  he  learned  that  only  sixty  pounds  pressure  of 
steam  was  admissible,  whereas  his  engine  was  designed  to  use 
steam  at  one  hundred  pounds  and  over.  He  accordingly  con- 
structed another,  meeting  this  requirement,  and  shipped  it  in  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  29 

following  year.  This  engine,  it  may  be  noted,  had  a  kind  of 
link  motion,  agreeably  to  the  specification  received,  and  was  the 
first  of  his  make  upon  which  the  link  was  introduced. 

Mr.  Baldwin's  patent  of  December  31,  1840,  already  referred 
to  as  covering  his  geared  engine,  embraced  several  other  devices, 
as  follows: 

1.  A  method  of  operating  a  fan,  or  blowing  wheel,  for  the 
purpose  of  blowing  the  fire.     The  fan  was  to  be  placed  under 
the  footboard,  and  driven  by  the  friction  of  a  grooved  pulley  in 
contact  with  the  flange  of  the  driving  wheel. 

2.  The   substitution    of   a   metallic   stuffing   consisting   of 
wire,  for  the  hemp,  wool,  or  other  material  which  had  been 
employed  in  stuffing  boxes. 

3.  The  placing  of  the  springs  of  the  engine  truck  so  as  to 
obviate  the  evil  of  the  locking  of  the  wheels  when  the  truck 
frame  vibrates  from  the  center  pin  vertically.    Spiral  as  well  as 
semi-elliptic  springs,  placed  at  each  end  of  the  truck  frame,  were 
specified.    The  spiral  spring  is  described  as  received  in  two  cups, 
one  above  and  one  below.     The  cups  were  connected  together 
at  their  centers,  by  a  pin  upon  one  and  a  socket  in  the  other,  so 
that  the  cups  could  approach  toward  or  recede  from  each  other 
and  still  preserve  their  parallelism. 

4.  An  improvement  in  the  manner  of  constructing  the  iron 
frames  of  locomotives,  by  making  the  pedestals  in  one  piece  with, 
and  constituting  part  of,  the  frames. 

5.  The  employment  of  spiral  springs  in  connection  with 
cylindrical   pedestals  and   boxes.     A  single  spiral  was  at  first 
used,  but,  not  proving  sufficiently  strong,  a  combination  or  nest 
of  spirals  curving  alternately  in  opposite  directions  was  after- 
ward employed.     Each  spiral  had  its  bearing  in  a  spiral  recess 
in  the  pedestal. 

In  the  specification  of  this  patent  a  change  in  the  method  of 
making  cylindrical  pedestals  and  boxes  is  noted.  Instead  of 
boring  and  turning  them  in  a  lathe,  they  were  cast  to  the  required 
shape  in  chills.  This  method  of  construction  was  used  for  a 
time,  but  eventually  a  return  was  made  to  the  original  plan,  as 
giving  a  more  accurate  job. 

In  1842,  Mr.  Baldwin  constructed,  under  an  arrangement 


30 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


with  Mr.  Ross  Winans,  three  locomotives  for  the  Western  Rail- 
road of  Massachusetts,  on  a  plan  which  had  been  designed  by 
that  gentleman  for  freight  traffic.  These  machines  had  upright 


BALDWIN  SIX-WHEELS-CONNECTED  ENGINE,  1842 

boilers  and  horizontal  cylinders,  which  worked  cranks  on  a  shaft 
bearing  cog-wheels  engaging  with  other  cog-wheels  on  an  inter- 
mediate shaft.  This  latter  shaft  had  cranks  coupled  to  four 
driving  wheels  on  each  side.  These  engines  were  constructed 
to  burn  anthracite  coal.  Their  peculiarly  uncouth  appearance 
earned  for  them  the  name  of  "crabs,"  and  they  were  but  short- 
lived in  service. 


BALDWIN  FLEXIBLE  BEAM  TRUCK,  1842 — ELEVATION 

But  to  return  to  the  progress  of  Mr.  Baldwin's  locomotive 
practice.  Only  eight  engines  were  built  in  1841.  The  geared 
engine  had  not  proved  a  success.  It  was  unsatisfactory,  as  well 
to  its  designer  as  to  the  railroad  community.  The  problem  of 
utilizing  more  or  all  of  the  weight  of  the  engine  for  adhesion 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  31 

remained,  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  view,  yet  to  be  solved.  The  plan 
of  coupling  four  or  six  wheels  had  long  before  been  adopted  in 
England,  but  on  the  short  curves  prevalent  on  American  railroads 
he  felt  that  something  more  was  necessary.  The  wheels  must  not 
only  be  coupled,  but  at  the  same  time  must  be  free  to  adapt 
themselves  to  a  curve.  These  two  conditions  were  apparently  in- 
compatible, and  to  reconcile  these  inconsistencies  was  the  task 
which  Mr.  Baldwin  set  himself  to  accomplish.  He  undertook  it, 
too,  at  a  time  when  his  business  had  fallen  off  greatly  and  he  was 
involved  in  the  most  serious  financial  embarrassments.  The 
problem  was  constantly  before  him,  and  at  length,  during  a 
sleepless  night,  its  solution  flashed  across  his  mind.  The  plan 
so  long  sought  for,  and  which,  subsequently  more  than  any  other 
of  his  improvements  or  inventions,  contributed  to  the  foundation 
of  his  fortune,  was  his  well-known  six-wheels-connected  locomo- 


D       U       U 

BALDWIN  FLEXIBLE  BEAM  TRUCK,  1842 — HALF  PLAN 

tive  with  the  four  front  drivers  combined  in  a  flexible  truck.  For 
this  machine  Mr.  Baldwin  secured  a  patent,  August  25,  1842. 
Its  principal  characteristic  features  are  now  matters  of  history, 
but  they  deserve  here  a  brief  mention.  The  engine  was  on  six 
wheels,  all  connected  as  drivers.  The  rear  wheels  were  placed 
rigidly  in  the  frames,  usually  behind  the  firebox,  with  inside 
bearings.  The  cylinders  were  inclined,  and  with  outside  connec- 
tions. The  four  remaining  wheels  had  inside  journals  running 
in  boxes  held  by  two  wide  and  deep  wrought-iron  beams,  one  on 
each  side.  These  beams  were  unconnected,  and  entirely  independ- 
ent of  each  other.  The  pedestals  formed  in  them  were  bored  out 
cylindrically,  and  into  them  cylindrical  boxes,  as  patented  by  him 
in  1835,  were  fitted.  The  engine  frame  on  each  side  was  directly 
over  the  beam,  and  a  spherical  pin,  running  down  from  the  frame, 
bore  in  a  socket  in  the  beam  midway  between  the  two  axles.  It 


32  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

will  thus  be  seen  that  each  side  beam  independently  could  turn 
horizontally  or  vertically  under  the  spherical  pin,  and  the  cylin- 
drical boxes  could  also  turn  in  the  pedestals.  Hence,  in  passing  a 
curve,  the  middle  pair  of  drivers  could  move  laterally  in  one 
direction — say  to  the  right — while  the  front  pair  could  move  in 
the  opposite  direction,  or  to  the  left;  the  two  axles  all  the  while 
remaining  parallel  to  each  other  and  to  the  rear  driving  axle. 
The  operation  of  these  beams  was  therefore  like  that  of  the 
parallel  ruler.  On  a  straight  line  the  two  beams  and  the  two 
axles  formed  a  rectangle;  on  curves,  a  parallelogram,  the  angles 
varying  with  the  degree  of  curvature.  The  coupling  rods  were 
made  with  cylindrical  brasses,  thus  forming  ball-and-socket 
joints,  to  enable  them  to  accommodate  themselves  to  the  lateral 
movements  of  the  wheels.  Colburn,  in  his  "Locomotive  Engi- 
neering," remarks  of  this  arrangement  of  rods  as  follows: 

"Geometrically,  no  doubt,  this  combination  of  wheels  could  only  work 
properly  around  curves  by  a  lengthening  and  shortening  of  the  rods  which 
served  to  couple  the  principal  pair  of  driving  wheels  with  the  hind  truck 
wheels.  But  if  the  coupling  rods  from  the  principal  pair  of  driving  wheels 
be  five  feet  long,  and  if  the  beams  of  the  truck  frame  be  four  feet  long  (the 
radius  of  curve  described  by  the  axle  boxes  around  the  spherical  side  bearings 
being  two  feet),  then  the  total  corresponding  lengthening  of  the  coupling  rods, 
in  order  to  allow  the  hind  truck  wheels  to  move  one  inch  to  one  side,  and  the 
front  wheels  of  the  truck  one  inch  to  the  other  side  of  their  normal  position 
on  a  straight  line  would  be  /602  +  12— 60+24—  ^24*— 1*  =0.0275  inch,  or 
less  than  one  thirty-second  of  an  inch.  And  if  only  one  pair  of  driving  wheels 
were  thus  coupled  with  a  four-wheeled  truck,  the  total  wheel  base  being  nine 
feet,  the  motion  permitted  by  this  slight  elongation  of  the  coupling  rods  (an 
elongation  provided  for  by  a  trifling  slackness  in  the  brasses)  would  enable 
three  pairs  of  wheels  to  stand  without  binding  in  a  curve  of  only  one  hundred 
feet  radius." 

The  first  engine  of  the  new  plan  was  finished  early  in  Decem- 
ber, 1842,  being  one  of  fourteen  engines  constructed  in  that  year, 
and  was  sent  to  the  Georgia  Railroad,  on  the  order  of  Mr.  J. 
Edgar  Thomson,  then  Chief  Engineer  and  Superintendent  of 
that  line.  It  weighed  twelve  tons,  and  drew,  besides  its  own 
weight,  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  up  a  grade  of  thirty-six  feet  to 
the  mile. 

Other  orders  soon  followed.  The  new  machine  was  received 
generally  with  great  favor.  The  loads  hauled  by  it  exceeded 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN7    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  33 

anything  so  far  known  in  American  railroad  practice,  and  saga- 
cious managers  hailed  it  as  a  means  of  largely  reducing  operating 
expenses.  On  the  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia,  one  of  these 
twelve-ton  engines  drew  nineteen  eight-wheeled  cars,  with  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  bales  of  cotton,  each  bale  weighing  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds,  over  maximum  grades  of  thirty  feet  per 
mile,  and  the  manager  of  the  road  declared  that  it  could  readily 
take  one  thousand  bales.  On  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road a  similar  engine  of  eighteen  tons  weight  drew  one  hundred 
and  fifty  loaded  cars  (total  weight  of  cars  and  lading,  one  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  thirty  tons)  from  Schuylkill  Haven  to 
Philadelphia,  at  a  speed  of  seven  miles  per  hour.  The  regular 
load  was  one  hundred  loaded  cars,  which  were  hauled  at  a  speed 
of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  per  hour  on  a  level. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,  dated  August  10,  1844, 
of  Mr.  G.  A.  Nicolls,  then  superintendent  of  that  line,  gives  the 
particulars  of  the  performance  of  these  machines,  and  shows  the 
estimation  in  which  they  were  held : 

"We  have  had  two  of  these  engines  in  operation  for  about  four  weeks. 
Each  engine  weighs  about  forty  thousand  pounds  with  water  and  fuel,  equally 
distributed  on  six  wheels,  all  of  which  are  coupled,  thus  gaining  the  whole 
adhesion  of  the  engine's  weight.  Their  cylinders  are  fifteen  by  eighteen  inches. 

"The  daily  allotted  load  of  each  of  these  engines  is  one  hundred  coal 
cars,  each  loaded  with  three  and  six-tenths  tons  of  coal,  and  weighing  two 
and  fifteen  one-hundredths  tons  each,  empty;  making  a  net  weight  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty  tons  of  coal  carried,  and  a  gross  weight  of  train  of  five 
hundred  and  seventy-five  tons,  all  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty 
pounds. 

"This  train  is  hauled  over  the  ninety-four  miles  of  the  road,  half  of 
which  is  level,  at  the  rate  of  twelve  miles  per  hour;  and  with  it  the  engine 
is  able  to  make  fourteen  to  fifteen  miles  per  hour  on  a  level. 

"Were  all  the  cars  on  the  road  of  sufficient  strength,  and  making  the 
trip  by  daylight,  nearly  one-half  being  now  performed  at  night,  I  have  no 
doubt  of  these  engines  being  quite  equal  to  a  load  of  eight  hundred  tons 
gross,  as  their  average  daily  performance  on  any  of  the  levels  of  our  road, 
some  of  which  are  eight  miles  long. 

"In  strength  of  make,  quality  of  workmanship,  finish,  and  proportion 
of  parts,  I  consider  them  equal  to  any,  and  superior  to  most,  freight  engines 
I  have  seen.  They  are  remarkably  easy  on  the  rails,  either  in  their  vertical 
or  horizontal  action,  from  the  equalization  of  their  weight,  and  the  improved 
truck  under  the  forward  part  of  the  engine.  This  latter  adapts  itself  to  all 


34  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

the  curves  of  the  road,  including  some  of  seven  hundred  and  sixteen  feet 
radius  in  the  main  track,  and  moves  with  great  ease  around  our  turning  Y 
curves  at  Richmond,  of  about  three  hundred  feet  radius. 

"I  consider  these  engines  as  near  perfection,  in  the  arrangement  of 
their  parts,  and  their  general  efficiency,  as  the  present  improvements  in 
machinery  and  the  locomotive  engine  will  admit  of.  They  are  saving  us 
thirty  per  cent,  in  every  trip  on  the  former  cost  of  motive  or  engine  power." 

But  the  flexible  beam  truck  also  enabled  Mr.  Baldwin  to 
meet  the  demand  for  an  engine  with  four  .drivers  connected. 
Other  builders  were  making  engines  with  four  drivers  and  a  four- 
wheeled  truck,  of  the  present  American  standard  type.  To 
compete  with  this  design,  Mr.  Baldwin  modified  his  six- wheels- 
connected  engine  by  connecting  only  two  of  the  three  pairs 
of  wheels  as  drivers,  making  the  forward  wheels  of  smaller 
diameter  as  leading  wheels,  but  combining  them  with  the  front 
drivers  in  a  flexible  beam  truck.  The  first  engine  on  this  plan 
was  sent  to  the  Erie  and  Kalamazoo  Railroad,  in  October,  1843, 
and  gave  great  satisfaction.  The  superintendent  of  the  road  was 
enthusiastic  in  its  praise,  and  wrote  to  Mr.  Baldwin  that  he 
doubted  "if  anything  could  be  got  up  which  would  answer  the 
business  of  the  road  so  well."  One  was  also  sent  to  the  Utica 
and  Schenectady  Railroad  a  few  weeks  later,  of  which  the  super- 
intendent remarked  that  "it  worked  beautifully,  and  there  were 
not  wagons  enough  to  give  it  a  full  load."  In  this  plan  the 
leading  wheels  were  usually  made  thirty-six  and  the  drivers  fifty- 
four  inches  in  diameter. 

This  machine,  of  course,  came  in  competition  with  the 
eight-wheeled  engine  having  four  drivers,  and  Mr.  Baldwin 
claimed  for  his  plan  a  decided  superiority.  In  each  case  about 
two-thirds  of  the  total  weight  was  carried  on  the  four  drivers, 
and  Mr.  Baldwin  maintained  that  his  engine,  having  only  six 
instead  of  eight  wheels,  was  simpler  and  more  effective. 

At  about  this  period  Mr.  Baldwin's  attention  was  called  by 
Mr.  Levi  Bissell  to  an  "Air-spring"  which  the  latter  had  devised, 
and  which  it  was  imagined  was  destined  to  be  a  cheap,  effective, 
and  perpetual  spring.  The  device  consisted  of  a  small  cylinder 
placed  above  the  frame  over  the  axle  box,  and  having  a  piston 
fitted  air-tight  into  it.  The  piston  rod  was  to  bear  on  the  axle 
box  and  the  proper  quantity  of  air  was  to  be  pumped  into  the 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  35 

cylinder  above  the  piston,  and  the  cylinder  then  hermetically 
closed.  The  piston  had  a  leather  packing  which  was  to  be 
kept  moist  by  some  fluid  (molasses  was  proposed)  previously 
introduced  into  the  cylinder.  Mr.  Baldwin  at  first  proposed  to 
equalize  the  weight  between  the  two  pairs  of  drivers  by  connect- 
ing two  air  springs  on  each  side  by  a  pipe,  the  use  of  an  equaliz- 
ing beam  being  covered  by  Messrs.  Eastwick  &  Harrison's  patent. 
The  air  springs  were  found,  however,  not  to  work  practically, 
and  were  never  applied.  It  may  be  added  that  a  model  of  an 
equalizing  air  spring  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  Joseph  Harrison,  Jr., 
at  the  Franklin  Institute,  in  1838  or  1839. 

With  the  introduction  of  the  new  machine,  business  began 
at  once  to  revive,  and  the  tide  of  prosperity  turned  once  more  in 
Mr.  Baldwin's  favor.  Twelve  engines  were  constructed  in  1843, 
all  but  four  of  them  of  the  new  pattern;  twenty-two  engines  in 
1844,  all  of  the  new  pattern;  and  twenty-seven  in  1845.  Three 
of  this  number  were  of  the  old  type,  with  one  pair  of  drivers, 
but  from  that  time  forward  the  old  pattern  with  the  single  pair 
of  drivers  disappeared  from  the  practice  of  the  establishment, 
save  occasionally  for  exceptional  purposes. 

In  1842,  the  partnership  with  Mr.  Vail  was  dissolved,  and 
Mr.  Asa  Whitney,  who  had  been  superintendent  of  the  Mohawk 
and  Hudson  Railroad,  became  a  partner  with  Mr.  Baldwin,  and 
the  firm  continued  as  Baldwin  &  Whitney  until  1846,  when  the 
latter  withdrew  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  car  wheels, 
establishing  the  firm  of  A.  Whitney  &  Sons,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Whitney  brought  to  the  firm  a  railroad  experience  and 
thorough  business  talent.  He  introduced  a  system  in  many 
details  of  the  management  of  the  business,  which  Mr.  Baldwin, 
whose  mind  was  devoted  more  exclusively  to  mechanical  sub- 
jects, had  failed  to  establish  or  wholly  ignored.  The  method  at 
present  in  use  in  the  establishment,  of  giving  to  each  class  of 
locomotives  a  distinctive  designation,  composed  of  a  number  and 
a  letter,  originated  very  shortly  after  Mr.  Whitney's  connection 
with  the  business.  For  the  purpose  of  representing  the  different 
designs,  sheets  with  engravings  of  locomotives  were  employed. 
The  sheet  showing  the  engine  with  one  pair  of  drivers  was 
marked  B;  that  with  two  pairs,  C;  that  with  three,  D;  and  that 


36  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

with  four,  E.  Taking  its  rise  from  this  circumstance,  it  became 
customary  to  designate  as  B  engines  those  with  one  pair  of 
drivers;  as  C  engines,  those  with  two  pairs;  as  D  engines,  those 
with  three  pairs ;  and  as  E  engines,  those  with  four  pairs.  Shortly 
afterward,  a  number,  indicating  the  weight  in  gross  tons,  was 
added.  Thus  the  12  D  engine  was  one  with  three  pairs  of 
drivers  and  weighing  twelve  tons;  the  12  C,  an  engine  of  same 
weight,  but  with  only  four  wheels  connected.  A  modification 
of  this  method  of  designating  the  several  plans  and  sizes  is  still 
in  use. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  classification  as  thus  established 
began  with  the  B  engines.  The  letter  A  was  reserved  for  an 
engine  intended  to  run  at  very  high  speeds,  and  so  designed  that 
the  driving  wheels  should  make  two  revolutions  for  each  recipro- 
cation of  the  pistons.  This  was  to  be  accomplished  by  means  of 
gearing.  The  general  plan  of  the  engine  was  determined  in  Mr. 
Baldwin's  mind,  but  was  never  carried  into  execution. 

The  adoption  of  the  plan  of  six-wheels-connected  engines 
opened  the  way  at  once  to  increasing  their  size.  The  weight 
being  almost  evenly  distributed  on  six  points,  heavier  machines 
were  admissible,  the  weight  on  any  one  pair  of  drivers  being 
little,  if  any,  greater  than  had  been  the  practice  with  the  old 
plan  of  engine  having  a  single  pair  of  drivers.  Hence,  engines 
of  eighteen  and  twenty  tons  weight  were  shortly  introduced,  and 
in  1844,  three  of  twenty  tons  weight,  with  cylinders  sixteen  and 
one-half  inches  diameter  by  eighteen  inches  stroke,  were  con- 
structed for  the  Western  Railroad  of  Massachusetts,  and  six  of 
eighteen  tons  weight,  with  cylinders  fifteen  by  eighteen,  and 
drivers  forty-six  inches  in  diameter,  were  built  for  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad.  It  should  be  noted  that  three  of 
these  latter  engines  had  iron  flues.  This  was  the  first  instance 
in  which  Mr.  Baldwin  had  employed  tubes  of  this  material, 
although  they  had  been  previously  used  by  others.  Lap-welded 
iron  flues  were  made  by  Morris,  Tasker  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia, 
about  1838,  and  butt-welded  iron  tubes  had  previously  been  made 
by  the  same  firm.  Ross  Winans,  of  Baltimore,  had  also  made 
iron  tubes  by  hand  for  locomotives  of  his  manufacture,  before 
1838.  The  advantage  found  to  result  from  the  use  of  iron  tubes, 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN*   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


apart  from  their  less  cost,  was  that  the  tubes  and  boiler  shell, 
being  of  the  same  material,  expanded  and  contracted  alike,  while 
in  the  case  of  copper  tubes,  the  expansion  of  the  metal  by  heat 
varied  from  that  of  the  boiler  shell,  and  as  a  consequence  there 
was  greater  liability  to  leakage  at  the  joints  with  the  tube  sheets. 
The  opinion  prevailed  largely  at  that  time  that  some  advantage 
resulted  in  the  evaporation  of  water,  owing  to  the  superiority  of 
copper  as  a  conductor  of  heat.  To  determine  this  question,  an 
experiment  was  tried  with  two  of  the  six  engines  referred  to 
above,  one  of  which,  the  "Ontario,"  had  copper  flues,  and 
another,  the  "New  England,"  iron  flues.  In  other  respects  they 
were  precisely  alike.  The  two  engines  were  run  from  Richmond 
to  Mount  Carbon,  August  27,  1844,  each  drawing  a  train  of  one 
hundred  and  one  empty  cars,  and  returning  from  Mount  Carbon 
to  Richmond  on  the  following  day,  each  with  one  hundred 
loaded  cars.  The  quantity  of  water  evaporated  and  wood  con- 
sumed was  noted,  with  the  result  shown  in  the  following  table: 


Up  Trip,  Aug.  27,  1844 

Down  Trip,  Aug.  28,  1844 

"Ontario" 
(Copper 
Flues) 

"New 
England" 
(Iron  Flues) 

"Ontario" 
(Copper 
Flues) 

"New 
England  " 
(Iron  Flues) 

Time,  running  
Time,  standing  at  stations  .  .  . 

9h.      7m. 
4h.       2m. 
6.68 
925.75 

138.57 

7h.    41m. 
3h.      7m. 
5.50 
757.26 

137.68 

10h.  44m. 
2h.  12m. 
6.94 
837.46 

120.67 

8h.     19m. 
3h.      8m. 
6.00 
656.39 

109.39 

Cubic  feet  of  water  evaporated 
Ratio,  cubic  feet  of  water  to 
a  cord  of  wood  

The  conditions  of  the  experiments  not  being  absolutely  the 
same  in  each  case,  the  results  could  not  of  course  be  accepted 
as  entirely  accurate.  They  seemed  to  show,  however,  no  con- 
siderable difference  in  the  evaporative  efficacy  of  copper  and  iron 
tubes. 

The  period  under  consideration  was  marked  also  by  the  intro- 
duction of  the  French  &  Baird  stack,  which  proved  at  once  to 
be  one  of  the  most  successful  spark-arresters  thus  far  employed, 
and  which  was  for  years  used  almost  exclusively  wherever,  as 
on  the  cot  ton -carry  ing  railroads  of  the  South,  a  thoroughly 


38  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

effective  spark-arrester  was  required.  This  stack  was  introduced 
by  Mr.  Baird,  then  a  foreman  in  the  Works,  who  purchased 
the  patent  right  of  what  had  been  known  as  the  Grimes  stack, 
and  combined  with  it  some  of  the  features  of  the  stack  made 
by  Mr.  Richard  French,  then  Master  Mechanic  of  the  German- 
town  Railroad,  together  with  certain  improvements  of  his  own. 
The  cone  over  the  straight  inside  pipe  was  made  with  volute 
flanges  on  its  under  side,  which  gave  a  rotary  motion  to  the 
sparks.  Around  the  cone  was  a  casing  about  six  inches  smaller 
in  diameter  than  the  outside  stack.  Apertures  were  cut  in  the 
sides  of  the  casing,  through  which  the  sparks  in  their  rotary 
motion  were  discharged,  and  thus  fell  to  the  bottom  of  the  space 
between  the  straight  inside  pipe  and  the  outside  stack.  The 
opening  in  the  top  of  the  stack  was  fitted  with  a  series  of  V-shaped 
iron  circles  perforated  with  numerous  holes,  thus  presenting 
an  enlarged  area,  through  which  the  smoke  escaped.  The 
patent  right  for  this  stack  was  subsequently  sold  to  Messrs. 
Radley  &  Hunter,  and  its  essential  principle  is  still  used  in 
the  Radley  &  Hunter  stack.  The  Rushton  wood-burning  stack, 
as  now  built,  is  a  further  improvement  on  the  Radley  &  Hunter, 
in  that  the  design  has  been  simplified,  the  draft  obstruction 
reduced,  and  the  stack  made  more  effective  as  a  spark  arrester. 
During  the  year  1844  another  important  feature  in  locomo- 
tive construction — the  cut-off  valve — was  added  to  Mr.  Baldwin's 
practice.  Up  to  that  time  the  valve  motion  had  been  the  two 
eccentrics,  with  the  single  flat  hook  for  each  cylinder.  Since 
1841,  Mr.  Baldwin  had  contemplated  the  addition  of  some  device 
allowing  the  steam  to  be  used  expansively,  and  he  now  added 
the  "half-stroke  cut-off."  In  this  device  the  steam  chest  was 
separated  by  a  horizontal  plate  into  an  upper  and  a  lower  com- 
partment. In  the  upper  compartment,  a  valve,  worked  by  a 
separate  eccentric,  and  having  a  single  opening,  admitted  steam 
through  a  port  in  this  plate  to  the  lower  steam  chamber.  The 
valve  rod  of  the  upper  valve  terminated  in  a  notch  or  hook, 
which  engaged  with  the  upper  arm  of  its  rock  shaft.  When 
thus  working,  it  acted  as  a  cut-off  at  a  fixed  part  of  the  stroke, 
determined  by  the  setting  of  the  eccentric.  This  was  usually  at 
half  the  stroke.  When  it  was  desired  to  dispense  with  the  cut- 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  39 


off  and  work  steam  for  the  full  stroke,  the  hook  of  the  valve  rod 
was  lifted  from  the  pin  on  the  upper  arm  of  the  rock  shaft  by  a 
lever  worked  from  the  footboard,  and  the  valve  rod  was  held  in 
a  notched  rest  fastened  to  the  side  of  the  boiler.  This  left  the 
opening  through  the  upper  valve  and  the  port  in  the  partition 
plate  open  for  the  free  passage  of  steam  throughout  the  whole 
stroke.  The  first  application  of  the  half-stroke  cut-off  was  made 
on  the  engine  "Atlantic"  (20  D),  built  for  the  Western  Rail- 
road of  Massachusetts  in  1844.  It  at  once  became  the  practice 
to  apply  the  cut-off  on  all  passenger  engines,  while  the  six-  and 
eight-wheels-connected  freight  engines  were,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, built  for  a  time  longer  with  the  single  valve  admitting  steam 
for  the  full  stroke. 

In  1845,  Mr.  Baldwin  built  three  locomotives  for  the  Royal 
Railroad  Company  of  Wiirtemberg.  They  were  of  fifteen  tons 
weight,  on  six  wheels,  four  of  them  being  sixty  inches  in  diameter 
and  coupled.  The  front  drivers  were  combined  by  the  flexible 
beams  into  a  truck  with  the  smaller  leading  wheels.  The 
cylinders  were  inclined  and  outside,  and  the  connecting  rods  took 
hold  of  a  half-crank  axle  back  of  the  firebox.  It  was  specified 
that  these  engines  should  have  the  link  motion  which  had  shortly 
before  been  introduced  in  England  by  the  Stephensons.  Mr. 
Baldwin  accordingly  applied  a  link  of  a  peculiar  character  to 
suit  his  own  ideas  of  the  device.  The  link  was  made  solid,  and 
of  a  truncated  V-section,  and  the  block  was  grooved  so  as  to  fit 
and  slide  on  the  outside  of  the  link. 

After  building,  during  the  years  1843,  1844  and  1845,  ten 
four-wheels-connected  engines  on  the  plan  above  described,  viz. : 
six  wheels  in  all,  the  leading  wheels  and  the  front  drivers  being 
combined  into  a  truck  by  the  flexible  beams,  Mr.  Baldwin  finally 
adopted  the  present  design  of  four  drivers  and  a  four-wheeled 
truck.  Some  of  his  customers  who  were  favorable  to  the  latter 
plan  had  ordered  such  machines  of  other  builders,  and  Colonel 
Gadsden,  President  of  the  South  Carolina  Railroad  Company, 
called  on  him  in  1845  to  build  for  that  line  some  passenger 
engines  of  this  pattern.  He  accordingly  bought  the  patent  right 
for  this  plan  of  engine  of  Mr.  H.  R.  Campbell,  and  for  the  equaliz- 
ing beams  used  between  the  drivers,  of  Messrs.  Eastwick  & 


40  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

Harrison,  and  delivered  to  the  South  Carolina  Railroad  Com- 
pany, in  December,  1845,  his  first  eight-wheeled  engine  with 
four  drivers  and  a  four-wheeled  truck.  This  machine  had  cylin- 
ders thirteen  and  three-quarters  by  eighteen  inches,  and  drivers 
sixty  inches  in  diameter,  with  the  springs  between  them  arranged 
as  equalizers.  Its  weight  was  fifteen  tons.  It  had  the  half-crank 
axle,  the  cylinders  being  inside  the  frame  but  outside  the  smoke- 
box.  The  inside-connected  engine,  counterweighting  being  as 
yet  unknown,  was  admitted  to  be  steadier  in  running,  and  hence 
more  suitable  for  passenger  service.  With  the  completion  of 
the  first  eight-wheeled  "C"  engine,  Mr.  Baldwin's  feelings 
underwent  a  revulsion  in  favor  of  this  plan,  and  his  partiality  for 
it  became  as  great  as  had  been  his  antipathy  before.  Comment- 
ing on  the  machine,  he  recorded  himself  as  "more  pleased  with  its 
appearance  and  action  than  any  engine  he  had  turned  out."  In 
addition  to  the  three  engines  of  this  description  for  the  South 
Carolina  Railroad  Company,  a  duplicate  was  sent  to  the  Camden 
and  Amboy  Railroad  Company,  and  a  similar  but  lighter  one 
to  the  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  Railroad  Company,  shortly 
afterward.  The  engine  for  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad 
Company,  and  perhaps  the  others,  had  the  half-stroke  cut-off. 

From  that  time  forward  all  of  his  four-wheels-connected 
machines  were  built  on  this  plan,  and  the  six-wheeled  "C"  engine 
was  abandoned,  except  in  the  case  of  one  built  for  the  Phila- 
delphia, Germantown  and  Norristown  Railroad  Company,  in 
1846,  and  this  was  afterward  rebuilt  into  a  six-wheels-connected 
machine.  Three  methods  of  carrying  out  the  general  design 
were,  however,  subsequently  followed.  At  first  the  half-crank 
was  used;  then  horizontal  cylinders  inclosed  in  the  chimney 
seat  and  working  a  full-crank  axle,  which  form  of  construction 
had  been  practiced  at  the  Lowell  Works ;  and  eventually  outside 
cylinders  with  outside  connections. 

Meanwhile,  the  flexible  truck  machine  maintained  its  popu- 
larity for  heavy  freight  service.  All  the  engines  thus  far  built  on 
this  plan  had  been  six- wheeled,  some  with  the  rear  driving  axle 
back  of  the  firebox,  and  others  with  it  in  front.  The  next  step, 
following  logically  after  the  adoption  of  the  eight- wheeled  "C" 
engine,  was  to  increase  the  size  of  the  freight  machine,  and  dis- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


41 


tribute  the  weight  on  eight  wheels  all  connected,  the  two  rear 
pairs  being  rigid  in  the  frame,  and  the  two  front  pairs  combined 
into  the  flexible-beam  truck.  This  was  first  done  in  1846,  when 
seventeen  engines  on  this  plan  were  constructed  on  one  order  for 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company.  Fifteen  of 
these  were  of  twenty  tons  weight,  with  cylinders  fifteen  and  one- 
half  by  twenty  inches,  and  wheels  forty-six  inches  in  diameter;  and 
two  of  twenty-five  tons  weight,  with  cylinders  seventeen  and  one- 
quarter  by  eighteen  inches,  and  drivers  forty-two  inches  in  diam- 


BALDWIN  EIGHT-WHEELS-CONNECTED  ENGINE,  1846 

eter.  These  engines  were  the  first  on  which  Mr.  Baldwin  placed 
sand  boxes,  and  they  were  also  the  first  built  by  him  with  roofs. 
On  all  previous  engines  the  footboard  had  only  been  inclosed  by  a 
railing.  On  these  engines  for  the  Reading  Railroad  four  iron 
posts  were  carried  up,  and  a  wooden  roof  supported  by  them. 
The  engine  men  added  curtains  at  the  sides  and  front,  and  Mr. 
Baldwin  on  subsequent  engines  added  sides,  with  sash  and  glass. 
The  cab  proper,  however,  was  of  New  England  origin,  where 
the  severity  of  the  climate  demanded  it,  and  where  it  had  been 
used  previous  to  this  period. 

Forty-two  engines  were  completed  in  1846,  and  thirty-nine 
in  1847.  The  only  novelty  to  be  noted  among  them  was  the 
engine  "M.  G.  Bright,"  built  for  operating  the  inclined  plane  on 
the  Madison  and  Indianapolis  Railroad.  The  rise  of  this  incline 
was  one  in  seventeen,  from  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River  at  Madison. 
The  engine  had  eight  wheels,  forty-two  inches  in  diameter,  con- 
nected, and  worked  in  the  usual  manner  by  outside  inclined 


42  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

cylinders,  fifteen  and  one-half  inches  diameter  by  twenty  inches 
stroke.  A  second  pair  of  cylinders,  seventeen  inches  in  diameter 
with  eighteen  inches  stroke  of  piston  was  placed  vertically  over 
the  boiler,  midway  between  the  furnace  and  smoke  arch.  The 
connecting  rods,  worked  by  these  cylinders,  connected  with 
cranks  on  a  shaft  under  the  boiler.  This  shaft  carried  a  single 
cog-wheel  at  its  center,  and  this  cog-wheel  engaged  with  another 
of  about  twice  its  diameter  on  a  second  shaft  adjacent  to  it  and 
in  the  same  plane.  The  cog-wheel  on  this  latter  shaft  worked 
in  a  rack-rail  placed  in  the  center  of  the  track.  The  shaft 
itself  had  its  bearings  in  the  lower  ends  of  two  vertical  rods,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  boiler,  and  these  rods  were  united  over  the 
boiler  by  a  horizontal  bar,  which  was  connected  by  means  of  a 

bent  lever  and  con- 
necting rod  to  the 
piston  worked  by  a 
small  horizontal  cylin- 
der placed  on  top  of 
the  boiler.  By  means 
of  this  cylinder,  the 
yoke  carrying  the 
shaft  and  cog-wheel 

BALDWIN  ENGINE  FOR  RACK  RAIL,  1847  COuld    be   depressed 

and  held  down  so  as 

to  engage  the  cogs  with  the  rack-rail,  or  raised  out  of  the  way 
when  only  the  ordinary  drivers  were  required.  This  device  was 
designed  by  Mr.  Andrew  Cathcart,  Master  Mechanic  of  the 
Madison  and  Indianapolis  Railroad.  A  similar  machine,  the 
"John  Brough,"  for  the  same  plane,  was  built  by  Mr.  Baldwin 
in  1850.  The  incline  was  worked  with  a  rack-rail  and  these 
engines  until  it  was  finally  abandoned  and  a  line  with  easier 
gradients  substituted. 

The  use  of  iron  tubes  in  freight  engines  grew  in  favor,  and 
in  October,  1847,  Mr.  Baldwin  noted  that  he  was  fitting  his  flues 
with  copper  ends,  "for  riveting  to  the  boiler." 

The  subject  of  burning  coal  continued  to  engage  much  atten- 
tion, but  the  use  of  anthracite  had  not  as  yet  been  generally 
successful.  In  October,  1847,  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  43 

Company  advertised  for  proposals  for  four  engines  to  burn 
Cumberland  coal,  and  the  order  was  taken  and  partially  filled  by 
Mr.  Baldwin  with  three  eight-wheels-connected  machines.  These 
engines  had  a  heater  on  top  of  the  boiler  for  heating  the  feed 
water,  and  a  grate  with  a  rocking  bar  in  the  center,  having  fingers 
on  each  side  which  interlocked  with  projections  on  fixed  bars,  one 
in  front  and  one  behind.  The  rocking  bar  was  operated  from  the 
footboard.  This  appears  to  have  been  the  first  instance  of  the 
use  of  a  rocking  grate  in  the  practice  of  these  Works. 

The  year  1848  showed  a  falling  off  in  business,  and  only 
twenty  engines  were  turned  out.  In  the  following  year,  however, 
there  was  a  rapid  recovery,  and  the  production  of  the  Works 
increased  to  thirty,  followed  by  thirty-seven  in  1850,  and  fifty  in 
1851.  These  engines,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were  confined  to 
three  patterns:  the  eight-wheeled  four-coupled  engine,  from 
twelve  to  nineteen  tons  in  weight,  for  passengers  and  freight,  and 
the  six  and  eight-wheels-connected  engines,  for  freight  exclusively, 
the  six-wheeled  machine  weighing  from  twelve  to  seventeen  tons, 
and  the  eight-wheeled  from  eighteen  to  twenty-seven  tons.  The 
drivers  of  these  six-  and  eight-wheels-connected  machines  were 
made  generally  forty-two,  with  occasional  variations  up  to  forty- 
eight  inches  in  diameter. 

The  exceptions  referred  to  above  were  the  fast  passenger 
engines  built  by  Mr.  Baldwin  during  this  period.  Early  in  1848, 
the  Vermont  Central  Railroad  was  approaching  completion, 
and  Governor  Paine,  the  President  of  the  Company,  conceived 
the  idea  that  the  passenger  service  on  the  road  required  loco- 
motives capable  of  running  at  very  high  velocities.  Henry 
R.  Campbell,  Esq.,  was  a  contractor  in  building  the  line,  and 
was  authorized  by  Governor  Paine  to  come  to  Philadelphia 
and  offer  Mr.  Baldwin  ten  thousand  dollars  for  a  locomotive 
which  could  run  with  a  passenger  train  at  a  speed  of  sixty 
miles  per  hour.  Mr.  Baldwin  at  once  undertook  to  meet  these 
conditions.  The  work  was  begun  early  in  1848,  and  in  March 
of  that  year  Mr.  Baldwin  filed  a  caveat  for  his  design.  The 
engine  was  completed  in  1849,  and  was  named  the  "Governor 
Paine."  It  had  one  pair  of  driving  wheels,  six  and  one-half  feet 
in  diameter,  placed  back  of  the  firebox.  Another  pair  of  wheels, 


44 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


but  smaller  and  unconnected,  was  placed  directly  in  front  of 
the  firebox,  and  a  four-wheeled  truck  carried  the  front  of  the 
engine.  The  cylinders  were  seventeen  and  one-quarter  inches 
diameter  and  twenty  inches  stroke,  and  were  placed  horizontally 
between  the  frames  and  the  boiler  at  about  the  middle  of  the 
waist.  The  connecting  rods  took  hold  of  "half-cranks"  inside 
of  the  driving  wheels.  The  object  of  placing  the  cylinders  at  the 
middle  of  the  boiler  was  to  lessen  or  obviate  the  lateral  motion 
of  the  engine,  produced  when  the  cylinders  were  attached  to  the 
smoke  arch.  The  bearings  on  the  two  rear  axles  were  so  con- 
trived that  by  means  of  a  lever,  a  part  of  the  weight  of  the 
engine  usually  carried  on  the  wheels  in  front  of  the  firebox  could 
be  transferred  to  the  driving  axle.  The  "Governor  Paine"  was 


BALDWIN  FAST  PASSENGER  ENGINE,  1848 

used  for  several  years  on  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad,  and 
then  rebuilt  into  a  four-coupled  machine.  During  its  career,  it 
was  stated  by  the  officers  of  the  road  that  it  had  run  a  mile  in 
forty-three  seconds.  Three  engines  on  the  same  plan,  but  with 
cylinders  fourteen  by  twenty  inches,  and  six-feet  driving  wheels, 
the  "MifBin,"  "Blair"  and  "Indiana,"  were  also  built  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  in  1849.  They  weighed  each 
about  forty-seven  thousand  pounds,  distributed  as  follows: 
Eighteen  thousand  on  the  drivers,  fourteen  thousand  on  the  pair 
of  wheels  in  front  of  the  firebox,  and  fifteen  thousand  on  the 
truck.  By  applying  the  lever,  the  weight  on  the  drivers  could  be 
increased  to  about  twenty-four  thousand  pounds,  the  weight 
on  the  wheels  in  front  of  the  firebox  being  correspondingly 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  45 


reduced.  A  speed  of  four  miles  in  three  minutes  is  recorded  for 
them,  and  upon  one  occasion  President  Taylor  was  taken  in  a 
special  train  over  the  road  by  one  of  these  machines  at  a  speed  of 
sixty  miles  an  hour.  One  other  engine  of  this  pattern,  the  "Sus- 
quehanna,"  was  built  for  the  Hudson  River  Railroad  Company 
in  1850.  Its  cylinders  were  fifteen  inches  diameter  by  twenty 
inches  stroke,  and  drivers  six  feet  in  diameter.  All  these  engines, 
however,  were  short-lived,  and  died  of  insufficient  adhesion. 

Eight  engines,  with  four  drivers  connected  and  half-crank 
axles,  were  built  for  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad  Company 
in  1849,  with  seventeen  by  twenty-inch  cylinders;  one-half  of  the 
number  with  six-feet  and  the  rest  with  five-feet  drivers.  These 
machines  were  among  the  last  on  which  the  half-crank  axle  was 
used.  Thereafter,  outside-connected  engines  were  constructed 
almost  exclusively. 

In  May,  1848,  Mr.  Baldwin  filed  a  caveat  for  a  four-cylinder 
locomotive,  but  never  carried  the  design  into  execution.  The 
first  instance  of  the  use  of  steel  axles  in  the  practice  of  the 
establishment  occurred  during  the  same  year — a  set  being  placed 
as  an  experiment  under  an  engine  constructed  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company.  In  1850,  the  old  form  of  dome  boiler, 
which  had  characterized  the  Baldwin  engine  since  1834,  was 
abandoned,  and  the  wagon-top  form  substituted. 

The  business  in  1851  had  reached  the  full  capacity  of  the 
shop,  and  the  next  year  marked  the  completion  of  about  an  equal 
number  of  engines  (forty-nine).  Contracts  for  work  extended 
a  year  ahead,  and  to  meet  the  demand,  the  facilities  in  the 
various  departments  were  increased,  and  resulted  in  the  con- 
struction of  sixty  engines  in  1853,  and  sixty-two  in  1854. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  latter  year,  Mr.  Matthew  Baird,  who 
had  been  connected  with  the  Works  since  1836,  as  one  of  its  fore- 
men, entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Baldwin,  and  the  style  of 
the  firm  was  made  M.  W.  Baldwin  &  Co. 

The  only  novelty  in  the  general  plan  of  engines  during  this 
period  was  the  addition  of  a  ten-wheeled  engine  to  the  patterns 
of  the  establishment.  The  success  of  Mr.  Baldwin's  engines  with 
all  six  or  eight  wheels  connected,  and  the  two  front  pairs  com- 
bined by  the  parallel  beams  into  a  flexible  truck,  had  been  so 


46  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

marked  that  it  was  natural  that  he  should  oppose  any  other 
plan  for  freight  service.  The  ten-wheeled  engine,  with  six 
drivers  connected,  had,  however,  now  become  a  competitor. 
This  plan  of  engine  was  first  patented  by  Septimus  Norris,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  1846,  and  the  original  design  was  apparently  to 
produce  an  engine  which  should  have  equal  tractive  power  with 
the  Baldwin  six-wheels-connected  machine.  This  the  Norris 
patent  sought  to  accomplish  by  proposing  an  engine  with  six 
drivers  connected,  and  so  disposed  as  to  carry  substantially  the 
whole  weight,  the  forward  drivers  being  in  advance  of  the  center 
of  gravity  of  the  engine,  and  the  truck  only  serving  as  a  guide, 
the  front  of  the  engine  being  connected  with  it  by  a  pivot  pin, 
but  without  a  bearing  on  the  center  plate.  Mr.  Norris's  first 
engine  on  this  plan  was  tried  in  April,  1847,  and  was  found  not 
to  pass  curves  as  readily  as  was  expected.  As  the  truck  carried 
little  or  no  weight,  it  would  not  keep  the  track.  The  New 
York  and  Erie  Railroad  Company,  of  which  John  Brandt  was 
then  Master  Mechanic,  shortly  afterward  adopted  the  ten-wheeled 
engine,  modified  in  plan  so  as  to  carry  a  part  of  the  weight  on 
the  truck.  Mr.  Baldwin  filled  an  order  for  this  company,  in 
1850,  of  four  eight- wheels-connected  engines,  and  in  making  the 
contract  he  agreed  to  substitute  a  truck  for  the  front  pair  of 
wheels  if  desired  after  trial.  This,  however,  he  was  not  called 
upon  to  do. 

In  February,  1852,  Mr.  J.  Edgar  Thomson,  President  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  invited  proposals  for  a  number 
of  freight  locomotives  of  fifty-six  thousand  pounds  weight  each. 
They  were  to  be  adapted  to  burn  bituminous  coal,  and  to  have 
six  wheels  connected  and  a  truck  in  front,  which  might  be  either 
of  two  or  four  wheels.  Mr.  Baldwin  secured  the  contract,  and 
built  twelve  engines  of  the  prescribed  dimensions,  viz.:  cylinders 
eighteen  by  twenty-two;  drivers  forty-four  inches  diameter,  with 
chilled  tires.  Several  of  these  engines  were  constructed  with  a 
single  pair  of  truck  wheels  in  front  of  the  drivers,  but  back  of 
the  cylinders.  It  was  found,  however,  after  the  engines  were  put 
in  service,  that  the  two  truck  wheels  carried  eighteen  or  nineteen 
thousand  pounds,  and  this  was  objected  to  by  the  company  as 
too  great  a  weight  to  be  carried  on  a  single  pair  of  wheels.  On 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  47 

the  rest  of  the  engines  of  the  order,  therefore,  a  four-wheeled 
truck  in  front  was  employed. 

The  ten-wheeled  engine  thereafter  assumed  a  place  in  the 
Baldwin  classification,  but  it  was  not  until  after  1860  that  this 
type  wholly  superseded  Mr.  Baldwin's  old  plan  of  freight  engine 
on  six  or  eight  wheels,  all  connected. 

In  1855-56,  two  locomotives  of  twenty-seven  tons  weight, 
with  nineteen  by  twenty-two  inch  cylinders  and  forty-eight  inch 
drivers,  were  built  for  the  Portage  Railroad,  and  three  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad.  In  1855,  '56  and  '57,  fourteen  of  the 
same  dimensions  were  built  for  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburg  Rail- 
road; four  for  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  Railroad; 
and  one  for  the  Marietta  and  Cincinnati  Railroad.  In  1858  and 
'59,  one  was  constructed  for  the  South  Carolina  Railroad,  of  the 
same  size,  and  six  lighter  ten-wheelers,  with  cylinders  fifteen  and 
one-half  by  twenty-two  inches,  and  four-feet  drivers,  and  two 
with  cylinders  sixteen  by  twenty-two  inches,  and  four-feet  drivers 
were  sent  out  to  railroads  in  Cuba. 

On  three  locomotives — the  "Clinton,"  "Athens,"  and 
"Sparta" — completed  for  the  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia  in 
July,  1852,  the  driving  boxes  were  made  with  a  slot  or  cavity  in 
the  line  of  the  vertical  bearing  on  the  journal.  The  object  was  to 
produce  a  more  uniform  distribution  of  the  wear  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  bearing.  This  was  the  first  instance  in  which  this 
device,  which  has  since  come  into  general  use,  was  employed  in 
the  Works,  and  the  boxes  were  so  made  by  direction  of  Mr. 
Charles  Whiting,  then  Master  Mechanic  of  the  Central  Railroad 
of  Georgia.  He  subsequently  informed  Mr.  Baldwin  that  this 
method  of  fitting  up  driving  boxes  had  been  in  use  on  the  road 
for  several  years  previous  to  his  connection  with  the  company. 
As  this  device  was  subsequently  made  the  subject  of  a  patent  by 
Mr.  David  Matthew,  these  facts  may  not  be  without  interest. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Charles  Ellet,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Virginia 
Central  Railroad,  laid  a  temporary  track  across  the  Blue  Ridge, 
at  Rock  Fish  Gap,  for  use  during  the  construction  of  a  tunnel 
through  the  mountain.  This  track  was  twelve  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  in  length  on  the  eastern  slope,  ascending  in  that 
distance  six  hundred  and  ten  feet,  or  at  the  average  rate  of  one 


48  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

in  twenty  and  one-half  feet.  The  maximum  grade  was  calculated 
for  two  hundred  and  ninety-six  feet  per  mile,  and  prevailed  for 
half  a  mile.  It  was  found,  however,  in  fact,  that  the  grade  in 
places  exceeded  three  hundred  feet  per  mile.  The  shortest  radius 
of  curvature  was  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet.  On  the 
western  slope,  which  was  ten  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  length,  the  maximum  grade  was  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  per  mile,  and  the  ruling  radius  of  curvature  three  hundred 
feet.  This  track  was  worked  by  two  of  the  Baldwin  six-wheels- 
connected  flexible-beam  truck  locomotives  constructed  in  1853- 
54.  From  a  description  of  this  track,  and  the  mode  of  working 
it,  published  by  Mr.  Ellet,  in  1856,  the  following  is  extracted: 

"The  locomotives  mainly  relied  on  for  this  severe  duty  were  designed 
and  constructed  by  the  firm  of  M.  W.  Baldwin  &  Company,  of  Philadelphia. 
The  slight  modifications  introduced  at  the  instance  of  the  writer,  to  adapt 
them  better  to  the  particular  service  to  be  performed  in  crossing  the  Blue 
Ridge,  did  not  touch  the  working  proportions  or  principle  of  the  engines, 
the  merits  of  which  are  due  to  the  patentee,  M.  W.  Baldwin,  Esq. 

"These  engines  are  mounted  on  six  wheels,  all  of  which  are  drivers, 
and  coupled,  and  forty-two  inches  diameter.  The  wheels  are  set  very  close, 
so  that  the  distance  between  the  extreme  points  of  contact  of  the  wheels 
and  the  rail,  of  the  front  and  rear  drivers,  is  nine  feet  four  inches.  This 
closeness  of  the  wheels,  of  course,  greatly  reduces  the  difficulty  of  turning 
the  short  curves  of  the  road.  The  diameter  of  the  cylinders  is  sixteen  and 
a  half  inches,  and  the  length  of  the  stroke  twenty  inches.  To  increase  the 
adhesion,  and  at  the  same  time  avoid  the  resistance  of  a  tender,  the  engine 
carries  its  tank  upon  the  boiler,  and  the  footboard  is  lengthened  out  and  pro- 
vided with  suspended  side  boxes,  where  a  supply  of  fuel  may  be  stored. 
By  this  means  the  weight  of  wood  and  water,  instead  of  abstracting  from  the 
effective  power  of  the  engine,  contributes  to  its  adhesion  and  consequent 
ability  to  climb  the  mountain.  The  total  weight  of  these  engines  is  fifty-five 
thousand  pounds,  or  twenty-seven  and  a  half  tons,  when  the  boiler  and  tank 
are  supplied  with  water,  and  fuel  enough  for  a  trip  of  eight  miles  is  on  board. 
The  capacity  of  the  tank  is  sufficient  to  hold  one  hundred  cubic  feet  of  water, 
and  it  has  storage  room  on  top  for  one  hundred  cubic  feet  of  wood,  in  addition 
to  what  may  be  carried  in  the  side  boxes  and  on  the  footboard. 

"To  enable  the  engines  to  better  adapt  themselves  to  the  flexures  of 
the  road,  the  front  and  middle  pairs  of  drivers  are  held  in  position  by  wrought- 
iron  beams,  having  cylindrical  boxes  in  each  end  for  the  journal  bearings, 
which  beams  vibrate  on  spherical  pins  fixed  in  the  frame  of  the  engine  on  each 
side,  and  resting  on  the  centers  of  the  beams.  The  object  of  this  arrangement 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  49 

is  to  form  a  truck,  somewhat  flexible,  which  enables  the  drivers  more  readily 
to  traverse  the  curves  of  the  road. 

"The  writer  has  never  permitted  the  power  of  the  engines  on  this  moun- 
tain road  to  be  fully  tested.  The  object  has  been  to  work  the  line  regularly, 
economically,  and  above  all,  safely;  and  these  conditions  are  incompatible 
with  experimental  loads  subjecting  the  machinery  to  severe  strains.  The 
regular  daily  service  of  each  of  the  engines  is  to  make  four  trips,  of  eight  miles, 
over  the  mountain,  drawing  one  eight-wheel  baggage  car,  together  with  two 
eight-wheel  passenger  cars,  in  each  direction. 

"In  conveying  freight,  the  regular  train  on  the  mountain  is  three  of 
the  eight-wheel  house  cars,  fully  loaded,  or  four  of  them  when  empty  or 
partly  loaded. 

"These  three  cars  when  full,  weigh  with  their  loads,  from  forty  to 
orty-three  tons.  Sometimes,  though  rarely,  when  the  business  has  been 
unusually  heavy,  the  loads  have  exceeded  fifty  tons. 

"With  such  trains  the  engines  are  stopped  on  the  track,  ascending  or 
descending,  and  are  started  again,  on  the  steepest  grades,  at  the  discretion 
of  the  engineer. 

"Water  for  the  supply  of  the  engines  has  been  found  difficult  to  obtain 
on  the  mountain;  and  since  the  road  was  constructed  a  tank  has  been  estab- 
lished on  the  eastern  slope,  where  the  ascending  engines  stop  daily  on  a  grade 
of  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  per  mile,  and  are  there  held  by  the  brakes  while 
the  tank  is  being  filled,  and  started  again  at  the  signal  and  without  any 
difficulty. 

"The  ordinary  speed  of  the  engines,  when  loaded,  is  seven  and  a  half  miles 
an  hour  on  the  ascending  grades,  and  from  five  and  a  half  to  six  miles  an  hour 
on  the  descent. 

"When  the  road  was  first  opened,  it  speedily  appeared  that  the  differ- 
ence of  forty-three  feet  on  the  western  side,  and  fifty-eight  on  the  eastern  side, 
between  the  grades  on  curves  of  three  hundred  feet  radius  and  those  on  straight 
lines,  was  not  sufficient  to  compensate  for  the  increased  friction  due  to  such 
curvature.  The  velocity,  with  a  constant  supply  of  steam,  was  promptly 
retarded  on  passing  from  a  straight  line  to  a  curve,  and  promptly  accelerated 
again  on  passing  from  the  curve  to  the  straight  line.  But,  after  a  little 
experience  in  the  working  of  the  road,  it  was  found  advisable  to  supply  a 
small  amount  of  grease  to  the  flange  of  the  engine  by  means  of  a  sponge, 
saturated  with  oil,  which,  when  needed,  is  kept  in  contact  with  the  wheel 
by  a  spring.  Since  the  use  of  the  oil  was  introduced,  the  difficulty  of  turning 
the  curves  has  been  so  far  diminished  that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  determine 
whether  grades  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  six-tenths  feet  per  mile 
on  curves  of  three  hundred  feet  radius,  or  grades  of  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  feet  per  mile  on  straight  lines,  are  traversed  most  rapidly  by  the  engine. 

"When  the  track  is  in  good  condition,  the  brakes  of  only  two  of  the 
cars  possess  sufficient  power  to  control  and  regulate  the  movement  of  the 
train — that  is  to  say,  they  will  hold  back  the  two  cars  and  the  engine.  When 


50  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

there  are  three  or  more  cars  in  the  train,  the  brakes  on  the  cars,  of  course, 
command  the  train  so  much  the  more  easily. 

"But  the  safety  of  the  train  is  not  dependent  on  the  brakes  of  the  car. 
There  is  also  a  valve  or  air  cock  in  the  steam  chest,  under  the  control  of 
the  engineer.  This  air  cock  forms  an  independent  brake,  exclusively  at  the 
command  of  the  engineer,  and  which  can  always  be  applied  when  the  engine 
itself  is  in  working  order.  The  action  of  this  power  may  be  made  ever  so 
gradual,  either  slightly  relieving  the  duty  of  the  brakes  on  the  cars,  or  bringing 
into  play  the  entire  power  of  the  engine.  The  train  is  thus  held  in  complete 
command." 

The  Mountain  Top  Track,  it  may  be  added,  was  worked 
successfully  for  several  years  by  the  engines  described  in  the 
above  extract,  until  it  was  abandoned  on  the  completion  of  the 
tunnel.  The  exceptionally  steep  grades  and  short  curves  which 
characterized  the  line  afforded  a  complete  and  satisfactory  test 
of  the  adaptation  of  these  machines  to  such  peculiar  service. 

But  the  period  now  under  consideration  was  marked  by 
another  and  a  most  important  step  in  the  progress  of  American 
locomotive  practice.  We  refer  to  the  introduction  of  the  link 
motion.  Although  this  device  was  first  employed  by  William 
T.  James,  of  New  York,  in  1832,  and  eleven  years  later  by  the 
Stephensons,  in  England,  and  was  by  them  applied  thence- 
forward on  their  engines,  it  was  not  until  1849  that  it  was  adopted 
in  this  country.  In  that  year  Mr.  Thomas  Rogers,  of  the  Rogers 
Locomotive  and  Machine  Company,  introduced  it  in  his  practice. 
Other  builders,  however,  strenuously  resisted  the  innovation,  and 
none  more  so  than  Mr.  Baldwin.  The  theoretical  objections 
which  confessedly  apply  to  the  device,  but  which  practically  have 
been  proved  to  be  unimportant,  were  urged  from  the  first  by  Mr. 
Baldwin  as  arguments  against  its  use.  The  strong  claim  of  the 
advocates  of  the  link  motion,  that  it  gave  a  means  of  cutting  off 
steam  at  any  point  of  the  stroke,  could  not  be  gainsaid,  and  this 
was  admitted  to  be  a<consideration  of  the  first  importance.  This 
very  circumstance  undoubtedly  turned  Mr.  Baldwin's  attention 
to  the  subject  of  methods  for  cutting  off  steam,  and  one  of  the 
first  results  was  his  "Variable  Cut-off,"  patented  April  27,  1852. 
This  device  consisted  of  two  valves,  the  upper  sliding  upon  the 
lower,  and  worked  by  an  eccentric  and  rock  shaft  in  the  usual 
manner.  The  lower  valve  fitted  steam-tight  to  the  sides  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  51 

steam  chest  and  the  under  surface  of  the  upper  valve.  When 
the  piston  reached  each  end  of  its  stroke,  the  full  pressure  of 
steam  from  the  boiler  was  admitted  around  the  upper  valve,  and 
transferred  the  lower  valve  instantaneously  from  one  end  of  the 
steam  chest  to  the  other.  The  openings  through  the  two  valves 
were  so  arranged  that  steam  was  admitted  to  the  cylinder  only 
for  a  part  of  the  stroke.  The  effect  was,  therefore,  to  cut  off 
steam  at  a  given  point,  and  to  open  the  induction  and  exhaust 
ports  substantially  at  the  same  instant  and  to  their  full  extent. 
The  exhaust  port,  in  addition,  remained  fully  opened  while  the 
induction  port  was  gradually  closing,  and  after  it  had  entirely 
closed.  Although  this  device  was  never  put  in  use,  it  may  be 
noted  in  passing  that  it  contained  substantially  the  principle  of 
the  steam  pump,  as  since  patented  and  constructed. 

Early  in  1853  Mr.  Baldwin  abandoned  the  half-stroke  cut-off 
previously  described,  and  which  he  had  been  using  since  1845, 
and  adopted  the  variable  cut-off,  which  was  already  employed  by 
other  builders.  One  of  his  letters,  written  in  January,  1853, 
states  his  position  as  follows: 

"I  shall  put  on  an  improvement  in  the  shape  of  a  variable  cut-off,  which 
can  be  operated  by  the  engineer  while  the  machine  is  running,  and  which  will 
cut  off  anywhere  from  six  to  twelve  inches,  according  to  the  load  and  amount 
of  steam  wanted,  and  this  without  the  link  motion,  which  I  could  never  be 
entirely  satisfied  with.  I  still  have  the  independent  cut-off,  and  the  additional 
machinery  to  make  it  variable  will  be  simple  and  not  liable  to  be  deranged." 

This  form  of  cut-off  was  a  separate  valve,  sliding  on  a  parti- 
tion plate  between  it  and  the  main  steam  valve,  and  worked  by  an 
independent  eccentric  and  rock  shaft.  The  upper  arm  of  the 
rock  shaft  was  curved  so  as  to  form  a  radius  arm,  on  which  a 
sliding  block,  forming  the  termination  of  the  upper  valve  rod, 
could  be  adjusted  and  held  at  varying  distances  from  the  axis, 
thus  producing  a  variable  travel  of  the  upper  valve.  This  device 
did  not  give  an  absolutely  perfect  cut-off,  as  it  was  not  operative 
in  backward  gear,  but  when  running  forward  it  would  cut  off 
with  great  accuracy  at  any  point  of  the  stroke,  was  quick  in  its 
movement,  and  economical  in  the  consumption  of  fuel. 

After  a  short  experience  with  this  arrangement  of  the  cut-off, 
the  partition  plate  was  omitted,  and  the  upper  valve  was  made  to 


52  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

slide  directly  on  the  lower.  This  was  eventually  found  objec- 
tionable, however,  as  the  lower  valve  would  soon  cut  a  hollow  in 
the  valve  face.  Several  unsuccessful  attempts  were  made  to 
remedy  this  defect  by  making  the  lower  valve  of  brass,  with  long 
bearings,  and  making  the  valve  face  of  the  cylinder  of  hardened 
steel;  finally,  however,  the  plan  of  one  valve  on  the  other  was 
abandoned,  and  recourse  was  again  had  to  an  interposed  par- 
tition plate,  as  in  the  original  half-stroke  cut-off. 


VARIABLE  CUT-OFF  ADJUSTMENT 

Mr.  Baldwin  did  not  adopt  this  form  of  cut-off  without  some 
modification  of  his  own,  and  the  modification  in  this  instance  con- 
sisted of  a  peculiar  device,  patented  September  13,  1853,  for  rais- 
ing and  lowering  the  block  on  the  radius  arm.  A  quadrant  was 
placed  so  that  its  circumference  bore  nearly  against  a  curved  arm 
projecting  down  from  the  sliding  block,  and  which  curved  in 
the  reverse  direction  from  the  quadrant.  Two  steel  straps,  side 
by  side,  were  interposed  between  the  quadrant  and  this  curved 
arm.  One  of  the  straps  was  connected  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
quadrant  and  the  upper  end  of  the  curved  arm;  the  other,  to  the 
upper  end  of  the  quadrant  and  the  lower  end  of  the  curved  arm. 
The  effect  was  the  same  as  if  the  quadrant  and  arm  geared  into 
each  other  in  any  position  by  teeth,  and  theoretically  the  block 
was  kept  steady  in  whatever  position  placed  on  the  radius  arm  of 
the  rock  shaft.  This  was  the  object  sought  to  be  accomplished, 
and  was  stated  in  the  specification  of  the  patent  as  follows: 

"The  principle  of  varying  the  cut-off  by  means  of  a  vibrating  arm  and 
sliding  pivot  block  has  long  been  known,  but  the  contrivances  for  changing 
the  position  of  the  block  upon  the  arm  have  been  very  defective.  The  radius 
of  motion  of  the  link  by  which  the  sliding  block  is  changed  on  the  arm,  and 
the  radius  of  motion  of  that  part  of  the  vibrating  arm  on  which  the  block  is 
placed,  have,  in  this  kind  of  valve  gear,  as  heretofore  constructed,  been 
different,  which  produced  a  continual  rubbing  of  the  sliding  block  upon  the 
arm  while  the  arm  is  vibrating;  and  as  the  block,  for  the  greater  part  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  53 

time,  occupies  one  position  on  the  arm,  and  only  has  to  be  moved  toward  either 
extremity  occasionally,  that  part  of  the  arm  on  which  the  block  is  most  used 
soon  becomes  so  worn  that  the  block  is  loose,  and  jars." 

This  method  of  varying  the  cut-off  was  first  applied  on  the 
engine  "Belle,"  delivered  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Com- 
pany, December  6,  1854,  and  thereafter  was  for  some  time  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Baldwin.  It  was  found,  however,  in  practice, 
that  the  steel  straps  would  stretch  sufficiently  to  allow  them  to 
buckle  and  break,  and  hence  they  were  soon  abandoned,  and 
chains  substituted  between  the  quadrant  and  curved  arm  of  the 
sliding  block.  These  chains  in  turn  proved  little  better,  as  they 
lengthened,  allowing  lost  motion,  or  broke  altogether,  so  that 
eventually  the  quadrant  was  wholly  abandoned,  and  recourse 
was  finally  had  to  the  lever  and  link  for  raising  and  lowering  the 
sliding  block.  As  thus  arranged,  the  cut-off  was  substantially 
what  was  known  as  the  "Cuyahoga  Cut-off,"  as  introduced  by 
Mr.  Ethan  Rogers,  of  the  Cuyahoga  Works,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
except  that  Mr.  Baldwin  used  a  partition  plate  between  the  upper 
and  the  lower  valve. 

But  while  Mr.  Baldwin  in  common  with  many  other  builders, 
was  thus  resolutely  opposing  the  link  motion,  it  was  nevertheless 
rapidly  gaining  favor  with  railroad  managers.  Engineers  and 
master  mechanics  were  everywhere  learning  to  admire  its  sim- 
plicity, and  were  manifesting  an  enthusiastic  preference  for  en- 
gines so  constructed.  At  length,  therefore,  he  was  forced  to  suc- 
cumb; and  the  link  was  applied  to  the  "Pennsylvania,"  one  of 
two  engines  completed  for  the  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia,  in 
February,  1854.  The  other  engine  of  the  order,  the  "New 
Hampshire,"  had  the  variable  cut-off,  and  Mr.  Baldwin,  while 
yielding  to  the  demand  in  the  former  engine,  was  undoubtedly 
sanguine  that  the  working  of  the  latter  would  demonstrate  the 
inferiority  of  the  new  device.  In  this,  however,  he  was  dis- 
appointed, for  in  the  following  year  the  same  company  ordered 
three  more  engines,  on  which  they  specified  the  link  motion.  In 
1856  seventeen  engines  for  nine  different  companies  had  this  form 
of  valve  gear,  and  its  use  was  thus  incorporated  in  his  practice. 
It  was  not,  however,  until  1857  that  he  was  induced  to  adopt  it 
exclusively. 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

February  14,  1854,  Mr.  Baldwin  and  Mr.  David  Clark, 
Master  Mechanic  of  the  Mine  Hill  Railroad,  took  out  conjointly 
a  patent  for  a  feed-water  heater,  placed  at  the  base  of  a  locomo- 
tive chimney,  and  consisting  of  one  large  vertical  flue,  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  smaller  ones.  The  exhaust  steam  was  discharged 
from  the  nozzles  through  the  large  central  flue,  creating  a  draft 
of  the  products  of  combustion  through  the  smaller  surrounding 
flues.  The  pumps  forced  the  feed  water  into  the  chamber  around 
these  flues,  whence  it  passed  to  the  boiler  by  a  pipe  from  the  back 
of  the  stack.  This  heater  was  applied  on  several  engines  for  the 
Mine  Hill  Railroad,  and  on  a  few  other  roads;  but  its  use  was 
exceptional,  and  lasted  only  for  a  year  or  two. 

In  December  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Baldwin  filed  a  caveat 
for  a  variable  exhaust,  operated  automatically  by  the  pressure  of 
steam,  so  as  to  close  when  the  pressure  was  lowest  in  the  boiler, 
and  open  with  the  increase  of  pressure.  The  device  was  never 
put  in  service. 

The  use  of  coal,  both  bituminous  and  anthracite,  as  a  fuel 
for  locomotives,  had  by  this  time  become  a  practical  success. 
The  economical  combustion  of  bituminous  coal,  however,  engaged 
considerable  attention.  It  was  felt  that  much  remained  to  be 
accomplished  in  consuming  the  smoke  and  deriving  the  maxi- 
mum of  useful  effect  from  the  fuel.  Mr.  Baird,  who  was  now 
associated  with  Mr.  Baldwin  in  the  management  of  the  business, 
made  this  matter  a  subject  of  careful  study  and  investigation. 
An  experiment  was  conducted  under  his  direction,  by  placing  a 
sheet  iron  deflector  in  the  firebox  of  an  engine  on  the  German- 
town  and  Norristown  Railroad.  The  success  of  the  trial  was 
such  as  to  show  conclusively  that  a  more  complete  combustion 
resulted.  As,  however,  a  deflector  formed  by  a  single  plate  of 
iron  would  soon  be  destroyed  by  the  action  of  the  fire,  Mr.  Baird 
proposed  to  use  a  water-leg  projecting  upward  and  backward 
from  the  front  of  the  firebox  under  the  flues.  Drawings  and  a 
model  of  the  device  were  prepared,  with  a  view  of  patenting  it, 
but  subsequently  the  intention  was  abandoned,  Mr.  Baird  con- 
cluding that  a  firebrick  arch  as  a  deflector  to  accomplish  the  same 
object  was  preferable.  This  was  accordingly  tried  on  two  loco- 
motives built  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  in  1854, 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  55 

and  was  found  so  valuable  an  appliance  that  its  use  was  at  once 
established,  and  it  was  put  on  a  number  of  engines  built  for  rail- 
roads in  Cuba  and  elsewhere.  For  several  years  the  firebricks 
were  supported  on  side  plugs;  but  in  1858,  in  the  "Media,"  built 
for  the  West  Chester  and  Philadelphia  Railroad  Company,  water- 
pipes  extending  from  the  crown  obliquely  downward  and  curving 
to  the  sides  of  the  firebox  at  the  bottom,  were  successfully  used 
for  the  purpose. 

The  adoption  of  the  link  motion  may  be  regarded  as  the 
dividing  line  between  the  present  and  the  early  and  transitional 
stage  of  locomotive  practice.  Changes  since  that  event  have  been 
principally  in  matters  of  detail,  but  it  is  the  gradual  perfection 
of  these  details  which  has  made  the  locomotive  the  symmetrical, 
efficient,  and  wonderfully  complete  piece  of  mechanism  it  is  today. 

The  production  of  the  establishment  during  the  six  years 
from  1855  to  1860,  inclusive,  was  as  follows:  forty-seven  engines 
in  1855;  fifty-nine  in  1856;  sixty-six  in  1857;  thirty-three  in  1858; 
seventy  in  1859;  and  eighty- three  in  1860.  The  greater  number 
of  these  were  of  the  ordinary  type:  four  drivers  coupled,  and  a 
four-wheeled  truck,  and  varying  in  weight  from  fifteen-ton 
engines,  with  cylinders  twelve  by  twenty-two  inches,  to  twenty- 
seven-ton  engines,  with  cylinders  sixteen  by  twenty-four  inches. 
A  few  ten-wheeled  engines  were  built,  as  has  been  previously 
noted,  and  the  remainder  were  the  Baldwin  flexible  truck  six-  and 
eight-wheels-connected  engines.  The  demand  for  these,  however, 
was  now  rapidly  falling  off,  the  ten-wheeled  and  heavy  "C" 
engines  taking  their  place,  and  by  1859  they  ceased  to  be  built, 
save  in  exceptional  cases,  as  for  some  foreign  roads,  from  which 
orders  for  this  pattern  were  still  occasionally  received. 

A  few  novelties  characterizing  the  engines  of  this  period 
may  be  mentioned.  Several  built  in  1855  had  cross-flues  placed 
in  the  firebox,  under  the  crown,  in  order  to  increase  the  heating 
surface.  This  feature,  however,  was  found  impracticable  and 
was  soon  abandoned.  The  intense  heat  to  which  the  flues 
were  exposed  converted  the  water  contained  in  them  into  highly 
superheated  steam,  which  would  force  its  way  out  through  the 
water  around  the  firebox  with  violent  ebullitions.  Four  engines, 
the  "Tiger,"  "Leopard,"  "Hornet"  and  "Wasp,"  were  built  for 


56  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  in  1856-57,  with  straight 
boilers  and  two  domes.  The  "Delano"  grate,  by  means  of 
which  the  coal  was  forced  into  the  firebox  from  below,  was 
applied  on  four  ten-wheeled  engines  for  the  Cleveland  and 
Pittsburg  Railroad  in  1857.  In  1859  several  engines  were  built 
with  the  form  of  boiler  introduced  on  the  Cumberland  Valley 
Railroad,  in  1851,  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Smith,  and  which  consisted  of  a 
combustion  chamber  in  the  waist  of  the  boiler  next  the  firebox. 
This  form  of  boiler  was  for  some  years  thereafter  largely  used 
in  engines  for  soft  coal.  It  was  at  first  constructed  with  the 
"water-leg"  which  was  a  vertical  water  space,  connecting  the 
top  and  bottom  sheets  of  the  combustion  chamber,  but  even- 
tually this  feature  was  omitted,  and  an  unobstructed  combustion 
chamber  employed.  Several  engines  were  built  for  the  Philadel- 
phia, Wilmington  and  Baltimore  Railroad  Company,  in  1859  and 
thereafter,  with  the  "Dimpfel"  boiler,  in  which  the  tubes  con- 
tain water,  and  starting  downward  from  the  crown  sheet,  are 
curved  to  the  horizontal,  and  terminate  in  a  narrow  water  space 
next  to  the  smokebox.  The  whole  waist  of  the  boiler,  therefore* 
forms  a  combustion  chamber,  and  the  heat  and  gases,  after 
passing  for  their  whole  length  along  and  around  the  tubes, 
emerge  into  the  lower  part  of  the  smokebox. 

In  1860  an  engine  was  built  for  the  Mine  Hill  Railroad,  with 
a  boiler  of  a  peculiar  form.  The  top  sheets  sloped  upward  from 
both  ends  toward  the  center,  thus  making  a  raised  part  or  hump 
in  the  center.  The  engine  was  designed  to  work  on  heavy  grades, 
and  the  object  sought  by  Mr.  Wilder,  the  superintendent  of  the 
Mine  Hill  Railroad,  was  to  have  the  water  always  at  the  same 
height  in  the  space  from  which  steam  was  drawn,  whether  going 
up  or  down  grade. 

All  these  experiments  are  indicative  of  the  interest  then  pre- 
vailing upon  the  subject  of  coal  burning.  The  result  of  experi- 
ence and  study  had  meantime  satisfied  Mr.  Baldwin  that  to 
burn  soft  coal  successfully  required  no  peculiar  devices ;  that  the 
ordinary  form  of  boiler  with  plain  firebox  was  right,  with  perhaps 
the  addition  of  a  firebrick  deflector;  and  that  the  secret  of  the 
economical  and  successful  use  of  coal  was  in  the  mode  of  firing, 
rather  than  in  a  different  form  of  furnace. 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  57 

The  year  1861  witnessed  a  marked  falling  off  in  the  produc- 
tion. The  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  at  first  unsettled  busi- 
ness, and  by  many  it  was  thought  that  railroad  traffic  would 
be  so  largely  reduced  that  the  demand  for  locomotives  must  cease 
altogether.  A  large  number  of  hands  were  discharged  from  the 
Works,  and  only  forty  locomotives  were  turned  out  during  the 
year.  It  was  even  seriously  contemplated  to  turn  the  resources 
of  the  establishment  to  the  manufacture  of  shot  and  shell,  and 
other  munitions  of  war,  the  belief  being  entertained  that  the 
building  of  locomotives  would  have  to  be  altogether  suspended. 
So  far  was  this  from  being  the  case,  however,  that  after  the  first 
excitement  had  subsided,  it  was  found  that  the  demand  for  trans- 
portation by  the  General  Government,  and  by  the  branches  of 
trade  and  production  stimulated  by  the  war,  was  likely  to  tax  the 
carrying  capacity  of  the  principal  Northern  railroads  to  the  fullest 
extent.  The  Government  itself  became  a  large  purchaser  of  loco- 
motives, and  it  is  noticeable,  as  indicating  the  increase  of  travel 
and  freight  transportation,  that  heavier  machines  than  had  ever 
before  been  built  became  the  rule.  Seventy-five  engines  were 
sent  from  the  Works  in  1862;  ninety-six  in  1863;  one  hundred 
and  thirty  in  1864;  and  one  hundred  and  fifteen  in  1865.  During 
two  years  of  this  period,  from  May,  1862,  to  June,  1864,  thirty- 
three  engines  were  built  for  the  United  States  Military  Railroads. 

The  demand  from  the  various  coal-carrying  roads  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  vicinity  was  particularly  active,  and  large  numbers 
of  ten-wheeled  engines,  and  of  the  heaviest  eight-wheeled  four- 
coupled  engines,  were  built.  Of  the  latter  class,  the  majority 
had  fifteen-  and  sixteen-inch  cylinders ;  and  of  the  former,  seven- 
teen- and  eighteen-inch  cylinders. 

The  introduction  of  several  important  features  in  construc- 
tion marks  this  period.  Early  in  1861  four  eighteen-inch  cyl- 
inder freight  locomotives,  with  six  coupled  wheels,  fifty-two 
inches  in  diameter,  and  a  Bissell  pony  truck  with  radius  bar  in 
front,  were  sent  to  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  Com- 
pany. This  was  the  first  instance  of  the  use  of  the  Bissell  truck  in 
the  Baldwin  Works.  These  engines,  however,  were  not  of  the 
regular  Mogul  type,  as  they  were  only  modifications  of  the  ten- 
wheeler,  the  drivers  retaining  the  same  position  well  back,  and 


58 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


a  pair  of  pony  wheels  on  the  Bissell  plan  taking  the  place  of 
the  ordinary  four-wheeled  truck.  Other  engines  of  the  same  pat- 
tern, but  with  eighteen  and  one-half  inch  cylinders,  were  built 
in  1862-63,  for  the  same  company,  and  for  the  Dom  Pedro  II. 
Railway  of  Brazil. 

The  introduction  of  steel  in  locomotive  construction  was  a 
distinguishing  feature  of  the  period.  Steel  tires  were  first  used 
in  the  Works  in  1862,  on  some  engines  for  the  Dom  Pedro  II. 
Railway  of  South  America.  Their  general  adoption  on  American 
Railroads  followed  slowly.  No  tires  of  this  material  were  then 
made  in  this  country,  and  it  was  objected  to  their  use  that,  as  it 
took  from  sixty  to  ninety  days  to  import  them,  an  engine,  in 
case  of  a  breakage  of  one  of  its  tires,  might  be  laid  up  useless 
for  several  months.  To  obviate  this  objection,  M.  W.  Baldwin 
&  Co.  imported  five  hundred  steel  tires,  most  of  which  were  kept 
in  stock,  from  which  to  fill  orders. 
The  steel  tires  as  first  used  in  1862,  on 
the  locomotives  for  the  Dom  Pedro 
Segundo  Railway,  were  made  with  a 
shoulder  at  one  edge  of  the  internal 
periphery,  and  were  shrunk  on  the 
wheel  centers.  The  accompanying 
sketch  shows  a  section  of  the  tire  as 
then  used. 

Steel  fireboxes  were  first  built  for 
some  engines  for  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company,  in  1861.  English 
steel  of  a  high  temper  was  used,  and 
at  the  first  attempt  the  fireboxes 
cracked  in  fitting  them  in  the  boilers, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  take  them 
out  and  substitute  copper.  American  homogeneous  cast  steel 
was  then  tried  on  engines  231  and  232,  completed  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  in  January,  1862,  and  it  was  found  to 
work  successfully.  The  fireboxes  of  nearly  all  engines  thereafter 
built  for  that  road  were  of  this  material,  and  in  1866  its  use  for 
the  purpose  became  general.  It  may  be  added  that  while  all  steel 
sheets  for  fireboxes  or  boilers  are  required  to  be  thoroughly 


STEEL  TIRE  WITH  SHOULDE 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  59 

annealed  before  delivery,  those  which  are  flanged  or  worked  in 
the  process  of  boiler  construction  are  a  second  time  annealed 
before  riveting. 

Another  feature  of  construction  gradually  adopted  was  the 
placing  of  the  cylinders  horizontally.  This  was  first  done  in  the 
case  of  an  outside-connected  engine,  the  "Ocmulgee,"  which 
was  sent  to  the  Southwestern  Railroad  Company,  of  Georgia,  in 
January,  1858.  This  engine  had  a  square  smokebox,  and  the 
cylinders  were  bolted  horizontally  to  its  sides.  The  plan  of 
casting  the  cylinder  and  half-saddle  in  one  piece  and  fitting 
it  to  the  round  smokebox  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Baldwin, 
and  grew  naturally  out  of  his  original  method  of  construction. 
Mr.  Baldwin  was  the  first  American  builder  to  use  an  outside 
cylinder,  and  he  made  it  for  his  early  engines  with  a  circular 
flange  cast  to  it,  by  which  it  could  be  bolted  to  the  boiler.  The 
cylinders  were  gradually  brought  lower,  and  at  a  less  angle,  and 
the  flanges  prolonged  and  enlarged.  In  1852,  three  six-wheels- 
connected  engines,  for  the  Mine  Hill  Railroad  Company,  were 
built  with  the  cylinder  flanges  brought  around  under  the  smoke- 
box  until  they  nearly  met,  the  space  between  them  being  filled 
with  a  sparkbox.  This  was  practically  equivalent  to  making 
the  cylinder  and  half-saddle  in  one  casting.  Subsequently,  on 
other  engines  on  which  the  sparkbox  was  not  used,  the  half- 
saddles  were  cast  so  as  almost  to  meet  under  the  smokebox,  and, 
after  the  cylinders  were  adjusted  in  position,  wedges  were  fitted 
in  the  interstices  and  the  saddles  bolted  together.  It  was  finally 
discovered  that  the  faces  of  the  two  half-saddles  might  be  planed 
and  finished  so  that  they  could  be  bolted  together  and  bring 
the  cylinders  accurately  in  position,  thus  avoiding  the  trouble- 
some and  tedious  job  of  adjusting  them  by  chipping  and  fitting 
to  the  boiler  and  frames.  With  this  method  of  construction, 
the  cylinders  were  placed  at  a  less  and  less  angle,  until  at  length 
the  truck  wheels  were  spread  sufficiently,  on  all  new  or  modified 
classes  of  locomotives  in  the  Baldwin  list,  to  admit  of  the  cylin- 
ders being  hung  horizontally,  as  is  the  present  almost  universal 
American  practice.  By  the  year  1865,  horizontal  cylinders  were 
made  in  all  cases  where  the  patterns  would  allow  it.  The  ad- 
vantages of  this  arrangement  are  manifestly  in  the  interest  of 


60  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

simplicity  and  economy,  as  the  cylinders  are  thus  rights  or  lefts, 
indiscriminately,  and  a  single  pattern  answers  for  either  side. 

In  July,  1866,  the  engine  "Consolidation"  was  built  for  the 
Lehigh  Valley  Railroad,  on  the  plan  and  specification  furnished 
by  Mr.  Alexander  Mitchell,  Master  Mechanic  of  the  Mahanoy 
Division  of  that  Railroad.  This  engine  was  intended  for  working 
the  Mahanoy  plane,  which  rises  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and 

thirty-three  feet  per  mile.  The 
"Consolidation"  had  cylinders 
twenty  by  twenty-four  inches, 
four  pairs  of  drivers  connected , 
forty-eight  inches  in  diameter, 
and  a  Bissell  pony  truck  in 
LOCOMOTIVE  -CONSOLIDATION"  front,  equalized  with  the  front 

drivers.     The  weight   of   the 

engine,  in  working  order,  was  ninety  thousand  pounds,  of  which  all 
but  about  ten  thousand  pounds  was  on  the  drivers.  This  engine 
constituted  the  first  of  a  class  to  which  it  gave  its  name,  and 
Consolidation  engines  have  since  been  constructed  for  a  large 
number  of  railways,  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  also  in 
many  foreign  countries.  The  heaviest  of  these  locomotives  weigh 
over  three  times  as  much  as  the  original  "Consolidation." 

It  has  already  been  noted,  that  as  early  as  1839  Mr.  Baldwin 
felt  the  importance  of  making  all  like  parts  of  similar  engines 
absolutely  uniform  and  interchangeable.  It  was  not  attempted 
to  accomplish  this  object,  however,  by  means  of  a  complete 
system  of  standard  gauges,  until  many  years  later.  In  1861 
a  beginning  was  made  of  organizing  all  the  departments  of 
manufacture  upon  this  basis,  and  from  it  grew  an  elaborate 
and  perfected  system,  embracing  all  the  essential  details  of 
construction.  An  independent  department  of  the  Works, 
having  a  separate  foreman  and  an  adequate  force  of  skilled  work- 
men with  special  tools  adapted  to  the  purpose,  is  organized  as 
the  Department  of  Standard  Gauges.  A  system  of  standard 
gauges  and  templets  for  every  description  of  work  to  be  done  is 
made  and  kept  by  this  department.  The  original  templets  are 
kept  as  "standards,"  and  are  never  used  on  the  work  itself,  but 
from  them  exact  duplicates  are  made,  which  are  issued  to  the 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN*    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  61 

foremen  of  the  various  departments,  and  to  which  all  work  is 
required  to  conform.  The  working  gauges  are  compared  with 
the  standards  at  regular  intervals,  and  absolute  uniformity  is 
thus  maintained.  The  result  of  this  system  is  interchange- 
ableness  of  like  parts  in  engines  of  the  same  class,  insuring  to  the 
purchaser  the  minimum  cost  of  repairs,  and  rendering  possible, 
by  the  application  of  this  method,  the  large  production  which 
these  Works  have  accomplished. 

Thus  had  been  developed  and  perfected  the  various  essential 
details  of  existing  locomotive  practice  when  Mr.  Baldwin  died, 
September  7,  1866.  He  had  been  permitted,  in  a  life  of  unusual 
activity  and  energy,  to  witness  the  rise  and  wonderful  increase  of 
a  material  interest  which  had  become  the  distinguishing  feature 
of  the  century.  He  had  done  much-,  by  his  own  mechanical 
skill  and  inventive  genius,  to  contribute  to  the  development  of 
that  interest.  His  name  was  as  "familiar  as  household  words" 
wherever  on  the  American  continent  the  locomotive  had  pene- 
trated. An  ordinary  ambition  might  well  have  been  satisfied 
with  this  achievement.  But  Mr.  Baldwin's  claim  to  the  remem- 
brance of  his  fellow-men  rests  not  alone  on  the  results  of  his 
mechanical  labors.  A  merely  technical  history,  such  as  this,  is 
not  the  place  to  do  justice  to  his  memory  as  a  man,  as  a  Christian, 
and  as  a  philanthropist;  yet  the  record  would  be  manifestly 
imperfect,  and  would  fail  properly  to  reflect  the  sentiments  of 
his  business  associates  who  so  long  knew  him  in  all  relations  of 
life,  were  no  reference  made  to  his  many  virtues  and  noble  traits 
of  character.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  and 
singular  conscientiousness.  To  do  right,  absolutely  and  unre- 
servedly, in  all  his  relations  with  men,  was  an  instinctive  rule  of 
his  nature.  His  heroic  struggle  to  meet  every  dollar  of  his 
liabilities,  principal  and  interest,  after  his  failure,  consequent 
upon  the  general  financial  crash  in  1837,  constitutes  a  chapter  of 
personal  self-denial  and  determined  effort  which  is  seldom  paral- 
leled in  the  annals  of  commercial  experience.  When  most  men 
would  have  felt  that  an  equitable  compromise  with  creditors  was 
all  that  could  be  demanded  in  view  of  the  general  financial 
embarrassment,  Mr.  Baldwin  insisted  upon  paying  all  claims  in 
full,  and  succeeded  in  doing  so  only  after  nearly  five  years  of 


62  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

unremitting  industry,  close  economy,  and  absolute  personal  sacri- 
fices. As  a  philanthropist  and  a  sincere  and  earnest  Christian, 
zealous  in  every  good  work,  his  memory  is  cherished  by  many 
to  whom  his  contributions  to  locomotive  improvement  are  com- 
paratively unknown.  From  the  earliest  years  of  his  business  life 
the  practice  of  systematic  benevolence  was  made  a  duty  and  a 
pleasure.  His  liberality  constantly  increased  with  his  means. 
Indeed,  he  would  unhesitatingly  give  his  notes,  in  large  sums,  for 
charitable  purposes,  when  money  was  absolutely  wanted  to  carry 
on  his  business.  Apart  from  the  thousands  which  he  expended 
in  private  charities,  and  of  which,  of  course,  little  can  be  known, 
Philadelphia  contains  many  monuments  of  his  munificence. 
Early  taking  a  deep  interest  in  all  Christian  effort,  his  contri- 
butions to  missionary  enterprise  and  church  extension  were  on 
the  grandest  scale,  and  grew  with  increasing  wealth.  Numerous 
church  edifices  in  this  city,  of  the  denomination  to  which  he 
belonged,  owe  their  existence  largely  to  his  liberality,  and  two  at 
least  were  projected  and  built  by  him  entirely  at  his  own  cost. 
In  his  mental  character,  Mr.  Baldwin  was  a  man  of  remarkable 
firmness  of  purpose.  This  trait  was  strongly  shown  during  his 
mechanical  career,  in  the  persistency  with  which  he  would  work 
at  a  new  improvement  or  resist  an  innovation.  If  he  were  led 
sometimes  to  assume  an  attitude  of  antagonism  to  features  of 
locomotive  construction  which  after-experience  showed  to  be 
valuable,  (and  a  desire  for  historical  accuracy  has  required  the 
mention,  in  previous  pages,  of  several  instances  of  this  kind)  it 
is  at  least  certain  that  his  opposition  was  based  upon  a  consci- 
entious belief  in  the  mechanical  impolicy  of  the  proposed  changes. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Baldwin  the  business  was  reorganized , 
in  1867,  under  the  title  of  "The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works," 
M.  Baird  &  Co.,  proprietors.  Messrs.  George  Burnham  and 
Charles  T.  Parry,  who  had  been  connected  with  the  establish- 
ment from  an  early  period,  the  former  in  charge  of  the  finances, 
and  the  latter  as  General  Superintendent,  were  associated  with 
Mr.  Baird  in  the  copartnership.  Three  years  later  Messrs.  Edward 
H.  Williams,  William  P.  Henszey  and  Edward  Longstreth  became 
members  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Williams  had  been  connected  with 
railway  management  on  various  lines  since  1850.  Mr.  Henszey 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  65 

had  been  Mechanical  Engineer,  and  Mr.  Longstreth  the  General 
Superintendent  of  the  Works  for  several  years  previously. 

A  class  of  engines  known  as  Moguls,  with  three  pairs  of 
drivers  connected,  and  a  swinging  pony  truck  in  front  equalized 
with  the  forward  drivers,  took  its  rise  in  the  practice  of  this 
establishment  from  the  "E. 
A.  Douglas,"  built  for  the 
Thomas  Iron  Company  in 
1867.  Mogul  locomotives  were 
soon  extensively  employed 
in  heavy  freight  service  on 
American  railways,  and  their 
use  continued  for  many  years 
after  the  building  of  the  "Douglas."  They  have  now,  how- 
ever, been  generally  replaced,  in  main  line  work,  by  locomotives 
of  more  powerful  types.  Large  numbers  of  Mogul  locomotives 
have  been  built  for  export,  and  in  plantation  and  other  forms 
of  special  service,  this  type  is  deservedly  popular. 

In  1867,  on  a  number  of  eight-wheeled  four-coupled  engines 
for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  the  four-wheeled  swing  bolster 
truck  was  first  applied,  and  thereafter  a  large  number  of  engines 
have  been  so  constructed.  The  two- wheeled  or  "pony  truck" 
has  been  built  both  on  the  Bissell  plan,  with  double  inclined 
slides,  and  with  the  ordinary  swing  bolster,  and  in  both  cases 
with  the  radius  bar  pivoting  from  a  point  about  four  feet  back 
from  the  center  of  the  truck.  In  the  case  of  both  the  two-wheeled 
and  the  four-wheeled  truck,  however,  the  swing  bolster  is  now  the 
rule;  the  four-wheeled  truck  being  made  without  a  radius  bar. 
Of  the  engines  above  referred  to  as  the  first  on  which  the  swing 
bolster  truck  was  applied,  four  were  for  express  passenger  serv- 
ice, with  drivers  sixty-seven  inches  in  diameter,  and  cylinders 
seventeen  by  twenty-four  inches.  One  of  them,  placed  on  the 
road  September  9,  1867,  was  in  constant  service  until  May  14, 
1871,  without  ever  being  off  its  wheels  for  repairs,  making  a  total 
mileage  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  two  hundred  and 
eighty  miles.  All  of  these  engines  had  their  driving  wheels 
spread  eight  and  one-half  feet  between  centers. 

Steel  flues  were  first  used  in  three  ten-wheeled  freight  engines, 


64  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

numbers  211,  338  and  368,  completed  for  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road in  August,  1868.  Steel  boilers  were  first  made  in  1868  for 
locomotives  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  and  the  use 
of  this  material  for  the  barrels  of  boilers  as  well  as  for  the  fire- 
boxes subsequently  became  universal  in  American  practice. 

In  1866,  the  straight  boiler  with  two  domes,  first  used  in 
1856,  was  again  introduced;  and  until  about  1880  the  practice  of 
the  establishment  included  both  the  wagon-top  boiler  with  single 
dome,  and  the  straight  boiler  with  one  or  two  domes.  Since 
1880,  the  use  of  two  domes  has  been  exceptional,  both  wagon- 
top  and  straight  boilers  being  constructed  with  one  dome. 

In  1868, »a  locomotive  of  three  and  one  half  feet  gauge  was 
constructed  for  the  Averill  Coal  and  Oil  Company,  of  West 
Virginia.  This  was  the  first  narrow  gauge  locomotive  in  the 
practice  of  the  Works.  In  1869,  three  locomotives  of  the  same 
gauge  were  constructed  for  the  Uniao  Valenciana  Railway  of 
Brazil  and  were  the  first  narrow  gauge  locomotives  constructed 
at  these  Works  for  general  passenger  and  freight  traffic.  In  the 
following  year  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway,  of  Colorado, 
was  projected  on  the  three-feet  gauge,  and  the  first  locomotives 
for  the  line  were  designed  and  built  in  1871.  Two  classes,  for 
passenger  and  freight,  respectively,  were  constructed.  The 
former  were  six-wheeled  with  four  wheels  coupled  forty  inches  in 
diameter,  and  nine  by  sixteen-inch  cylinders.  They  weighed  each, 
loaded,  about  twenty-five  thousand  pounds.  The  latter  were 
eight-wheeled,  with  six  wheels  coupled,  thirty-six  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  eleven  by  sixteen-inch  cylinders.  These  locomotives 
weighed  each,  loaded,  about  thirty-five  thousand  pounds.  Both 
types  had  a  swinging  truck  with  a  single  pair  of  wheels  in  front 
of  the  cylinders.  The  six-coupled  design  was  for  freight  service, 
and  was  subsequently  built  in  larger  sizes.  The  four-coupled 
type  for  passenger  service  was  found  to  be  too  small  and  to  be 
unsteady  on  the  track,  owing  to  its  comparatively  short  wheel 
base.  It  was  therefore  abandoned,  and  the  ordinary  American 
pattern,  eight-wheeled,  four  coupled,  substituted.  Following 
the  engines  for  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway,  others  for 
other  narrow  gauge  lines  were  called  for,  and  the  manufacture 
of  this  description  of  rolling  stock  soon  assumed  importance. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  65 

The  Consolidation  type,  as  first  introduced  for  the  four 
feet  eight  and  one-half  inches  gauge  in  1866,  was  adapted  to  the 
three  feet  gauge  in  1873.  In  1877,  a  locomotive  on  this  plan, 
weighing  in  working  order  about  sixty  thousand  pounds,  with 
cylinders  fifteen  by  twenty  inches,  was  built  for  working  the 
Garland  extension  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway,  which 
crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  maximum  grades  of  two  hun- 
dred and  eleven  feet  per  mile,  and  minimum  curves  of  thirty 
degrees.  The  performance  of  this  locomotive,  the  "Alamosa,"  is 
given  in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  the  then  General 

Superintendent  of  that  railway: 

DENVER,  COL.,  August  31,  1877 

"On  the  29th  inst.  I  telegraphed  you  from  Veta  Pass — Sangre  de  Cristo 
Mountains — that  engine  'Alamosa'  had  just  hauled  from  Garland  to  the 
Summit  one  baggage  car  and  seven  coaches,  containing  one  hundred  and 
sixty  passengers.  Yesterday  I  received  your  reply  asking  for  particulars,  etc. 

"My  estimate  of  the  weight  was  eighty-five  net  tons,  stretched  over  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  or  including  the  engine  of  four  hun- 
dred and  five  feet. 

"The  occasion  of  this  sized  train  was  an  excursion  from  Denver  to 
Garland  and  return.  The  night  before,  in  going  over  from  La  Veta,  we 
had  over  two  hundred  passengers,  but  it  was  but  8  p.  M.,  and  fearing  a 
slippery  rail,  I  put  on  engine  No.  19  as  a  pusher,  although  the  engineer  of 
the  'Alamosa'  said  he  could  haul  the  train,  and  I  believe  he  could  have  done  so. 
The  engine  and  train  took  up  a  few  feet  more  than  the  half  circle  at  'Mule  Shore, ' 
where  the  radius  is  one  hundred  and  ninety-three  feet.  The  engine  worked 
splendidly,  and  moved  up  the  two  hundred  and  eleven  feet  grades  and 
around  the  thirty  degree  curves  seemingly  with  as  much  ease  as  our  passenger 
engines  on  seventy-five  feet  grades  with  three  coaches  and  baggage  cars. 

"The  'Alamosa'  hauls  regularly  eight  loaded  cars  and  caboose,  about 
one  hundred  net  tons;  length  of  train  about  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet. 

"The  distance  from  Garland  to  Veta  Pass  is  fourteen  and  one-quarter 
miles,  and  the  time  is  one  hour  and  twenty  minutes. 

"Respectfully  yours, 
(Signed)  W.  W.  BORST,  Supt." 

In  addition  to  narrow  gauge  locomotives  for  the  United 
States,  this  branch  of  the  product  has  included  a  large  number  of 
three  feet,  meter,  and  three  and  one-half  feet  gauge  locomotives, 
which  have  been  shipped  to  various  parts  of  the  world. 

Locomotives  for  single-rail  railroads  were  built  in  1878  and 
early  in  1879,  adapted  respectively  to  the  systems  of  General 
Roy  Stone  and  Mr.  W.  W.  Riley. 


66  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


Mine  locomotives,  generally  of  narrow  gauge,  for  under- 
ground work,  and  not  over  five  and  one-half  feet  in  height,  were 
first  built  in  1870.  These  machines  were  generally  four-wheels- 
connected,  with  inside  cylinders  and  a  crank  axle.  The  width 
over  all  of  this  plan  was  only  sixteen  inches  greater  than  the 
gauge  of  the  track.  A  number  of  outside-connected  mine  loco- 
motives were  also  constructed,  the  width  being  thirty-two  inches 
greater  than  the  gauge  of  the  track.  A  locomotive  of  twenty 
inches  gauge  for  a  gold  mine  in  California  was  built  in  1876,  and 
was  found  entirely  practicable  and  efficient. 

In  1870,  in  some  locomotives  for  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railway, 
the  steel  tires  were  shrunk  on  without  being  secured  by  bolts  or 
rivets  in  any  form,  and  since  that  time  this  method  of  putting  on 
tires  has  been  usually  employed. 

In  1871,  forty  locomotives  were  constructed  for  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Railway,  the  gauge  of  which  was  changed  from  six 
feet  to  four  feet  nine  inches.  The  entire  lot  of  forty  locomotives 
was  completed  and  delivered  in  about  twelve  weeks.  The  gauge 
of  the  road  was  changed  on  July  4,  and  the  forty  locomotives  went 
at  once  into  service  in  operating  the  line  on  the  standard  gauge. 

During  the  same  year  two  "double-ender"  locomotives  of 
Class  10-26-J^-C  were  constructed  for  the  Central  Railroad  of 
New  Jersey,  and  were  the  first  of  this  pattern  at  these  Works. 

The  product  of  the  Works,  which  had  been  steadily  increas- 
ing for  some  years  in  sympathy  with  the  requirements  of  the 
numerous  new  railroads  which  were  constructing,  reached  three 
hundred  and  thirty-one  locomotives  in  1871,  and  four  hundred 
and  twenty- two  in  1872.  Orders  for  ninety  locomotives  for  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  were  entered  during  1870-71,  and  for 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
during  1872-73,  and  mostly  executed  during  those  years.  A  con- 
tract was  also  made  during  1872  with  the  Veronej-Rostoff  Rail- 
way of  Russia  for  ten  locomotives  to  burn  Russian  anthracite  coal. 
Six  were  Moguls,  with  cylinders  nineteen  by  twenty-four  inches 
and  driving  wheels  four  and  one-half  feet  diameter;  and  four  were 
passenger  locomotives,  American  pattern,  with  cylinders  seven- 
teen by  twenty-four  inches,  and  driving  wheels  five  and  one-half 
feet  diameter.  Nine  American  pattern  locomotives,  with  fifteen 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  67 

by  twenty-four  inch  cylinders,  and  five  feet  driving  wheels,  were 
also  constructed  in  1872-73  for  the  Hango-Hyvinge  Railway  of 
Finland. 

Early  in  1873,  Mr.  Baird  retired  from  the  business,  having 
sold  his  interest  in  the  Works  to  his  five  partners.  Mr.  Baird 
died  May  19,  -1877.  A  new  firm  was  formed  under  the  style  of 
Burnham,  Parry,  Williams  &  Co.,  dating  from  January  1,  1873, 
and  Mr.  John  H.  Converse,  who  had  been  connected  with  the 
Works  since  1870,  became  a  partner.  The  product  of  this  year 
was  four  hundred  and  thirty-seven  locomotives,  the  greatest  in 
the  history  of  the  business  up  to  that  time.  During  a  part  of  the 
year  ten  locomotives  per  week  were  turned  out.  Nearly  three 
thousand  men  were  employed.  Forty-five  locomotives  for  the 
Grand  Trunk  Railway  of  Canada  were  built  in  August,  September 
and  October,  1873,  and  all  were  delivered  in  five  weeks  after  ship- 
ment of  the  first.  These  locomotives  were  built  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  a  change  of  gauge  from  five  and  one-half  feet  to  four 
feet  eight  and  one-half  inches.  In  November,  1873,  under  cir- 
cumstances of  special  urgency,  a  small  locomotive  for  the  Meier 
Iron  Company  of  St.  Louis,  was  wholly  made  from  the  raw 
material  in  sixteen  working  days. 

The  financial  difficulties  which  prevailed  throughout  the 
United  States,  beginning  in  September,  1873,  and  affecting  chiefly 
the  railroad  interests  and  all  branches  of  manufacture  connected 
therewith,  operated,  of  course,  to  curtail  the  production  of  loco- 
motives for  quite  a  period.  Hence,  only  two  hundred  and  five 
locomotives  were  built  in  1874,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  in 
1875.  Among  these  may  be  enumerated  two  sample  locomo- 
tives for  burning  anthracite  coal  (one  passenger,  sixteen  by 
twenty-four  inch  cylinders,  and  one  Mogul  freight,  eighteen  by 
twenty-four  inch  cylinders)  for  the  Technical  Department  of  the 
Russian  Government;  also  twelve  Mogul  freight  locomotives, 
nineteen  by  twenty-four  inch  cylinders,  for  the  Charkoff 
Nicolaieff  Railroad  of  Russia.  A  small  locomotive  to  work  by 
compressed  air,  for  drawing  street  cars,  was  constructed  during 
1874  for  the  Compressed  Air  Locomotive  and  Street  Car  Com- 
pany, of  Louisville,  Ky.  It  had  cylinders  seven  by  twelve  inches, 
and  four  wheels  coupled,  thirty  inches  in  diameter.  Another 


68  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

and  smaller  locomotive,  to  work  by  compressed  air,  was  con- 
structed three  years  later  for  the  Plymouth  Cordage  Company, 
of  Massachusetts,  for  service  on  a  track  in  and  about  their  works. 
It  had  cylinders  five  by  ten  inches,  four  wheels  coupled,  twenty- 
four  inches  diameter,  and  weighed  seven  thousand  pounds;  and 
was  successfully  employed  for  the  work  required. 

In  1875  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  acquired  a  control- 
ling interest  in  the  Standard  Steel  Works,  located  at  Burnham, 
Pennsylvania. 

The  year  1876,  noted  as  the  year  of  the  Centennial  Inter- 
national Exhibition,  in  Philadelphia,  brought  some  increase  of 
business,  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  locomotives  were  con- 
structed. An  exhibit  consisting  of  eight  locomotives  was  pre- 
pared for  this  occasion.  With  the  view  of  illustrating  not  only 
the  different  types  of  American  locomotives,  but  the  practice  of 
different  railroads,  the  exhibit  consisted  chiefly  of  locomotives 
constructed  to  fill  orders  from  various  railroad  companies  of  the 
United  States  and  from  the  Imperial  Government  of  Brazil.  A 
Consolidation  locomotive  for  burning  anthracite  coal,  for  the 
Lehigh  Valley  Railroad,  for  which  line  the  first  locomotive  of  this 
type  was  designed  and  built  in  1866;  a  similar  locomotive,  to 
burn  bituminous  coal,  and  a  passenger  locomotive  for  the  same 
fuel  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad;  a  Mogul  freight  locomotive, 
the  "Principe  do  Grao  Para,"  for  the  Dom  Pedro  Segundo  Rail- 
way of  Brazil,  and  a  passenger  locomotive  (anthracite  burner)  for 
the  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey,  comprised  the  larger  loco- 
motives contributed  by  these  Works  to  the  Exhibition  of  1876. 
To  these  were  added  a  mine  locomotive  and  two  narrow  (three 
feet)  gauge  locomotives,  which  were  among  those  used  in  working 
the  Centennial  Narrow  Gauge  Railway.  As  this  line  was  in 
many  respects  unique,  we  subjoin  the  following  extracts  from  an 
account  by  its  General  Manager  of  the  performance  of  the  two 
three  feet  gauge  locomotives: 

"The  gauge  of  the  line  was  three  feet,  with  double  track  three  and  a 
half  miles  long,  or  seven  miles  in  all.  For  its  length,  it  was  probably  the 
most  crooked  road  in  the  world,  being  made  up  almost  wholly  of  curves, 
in  order  to  run  near  all  the  principal  buildings  on  the  Exhibition  grounds. 
Many  of  these  curves  were  on  our  heaviest  grades,  some  having  a  radius  of 
215,  230  and  250  feet  on  grades  of  140  and  155  feet  per  mile.  These  are 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  69 

unusually  heavy  grades  and  curves,  and  when  combined  as  we  had  them, 
with  only  a  thirty-five  pound  iron  rail,  made  the  task  for  our  engines  exceed- 
ingly difficult. 

"Your  locomotive  'Schuylkill,'  Class  8-18-C  (eight-wheeled,  four  wheels 
coupled  three  and  a  half  feet  diameter;  cylinders,  twelve  by  sixteen;  weight, 
forty-two  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  pounds),  began  service  May  13th,  and 
made  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  days  to  the  close  of  the  Exhibition.  The  loco- 
motive 'Delaware,'  Class  8-18-D  (eight- wheeled,  six  wheels  coupled  three  feet 
diameter;  cylinders,  twelve  by  sixteen;  weight,  thirty-nine  thousand  pounds), 
came  into  service  June  9th,  and  made  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  days  to  the 
close  of  the  Exhibition.  The  usual  load  of  each  engine  was  five  eight-wheeled 
passenger  cars,  frequently  carrying  over  one  hundred  passengers  per  car. 
On  special  occasions,  as  many  as  six  and  seven  loaded  cars  have  been  drawn 
by  one  of  these  engines. 

"Each  engine  averaged  fully  sixteen  trips  daily,  equal  to  fifty-six  miles, 
and  as  the  stations  were  but  a  short  distance  apart,  the  Westinghouse  air 
brake  was  applied  in  making  one  hundred  and  sixty  daily  stops,  or  a  total  of 
twenty-five  thousand  for  each  engine.  Neither  engine  was  out  of  service 
an  hour,  unless  from  accidents  for  which  they  were  in  no  way  responsible." 

[NoxE. — Average  weight  of  each  loaded  car  about  twelve  gross  tons.] 

The  year  1876  was  also  marked  by  an  extension  of  locomo- 
tive engineering  to  a  new  field  in  the  practice  of  these  Works. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  previous  year  an  experimental  steam 
street  car  was  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  appli- 
cability of  steam  to  street  railways.  This  car  was  completed  in 
November,  1875,  and  was  tried  for  a  few  days  on  a  street  railway 
in  Philadelphia.  It  was  then  sent  to  Brooklyn,  December  25, 
1875,  where  it  ran  from  that  time  until  June,  1876.  One  engineer 
ran  the  car  and  kept  it  in  working  order.  Its  consumption  of 
fuel  was  between  seven  and  eight  pounds  of  coal  per  mile  run. 
It  drew  regularly,  night  and  morning,  an  additional  car,  with 
passengers  going  into  New  York  in  the  morning,  and  returning 
at  night.  On  several  occasions,  where  speed  was  practicable, 
the  car  was  run  at  the  rate  of  sixteen  to  eighteen  miles  per  hour. 

In  June,  1876,  this  car  was  withdrawn  from  the  Atlantic 
Avenue  Railway  of  Brooklyn,  and  placed  on  the  Market  Street 
Railway  of  Philadelphia.  It  worked  on  that  line  with  fair  success, 
and  very  acceptably  to  the  public,  from  June  till  nearly  the  close 
of  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 

This  original  steam  car  was  built  with  cylinders  under  the 
body  of  the  car,  the  connecting  rods  taking  hold  of  a  crank  axle, 


70  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

to  which  the  front  wheels  were  attached.  The  rear  wheels  of  the 
car  were  independent,  and  not  coupled  with  the  front  wheels. 
The  machinery  of  the  car  was  attached  to  an  iron  bed  plate 
bolted  directly  to  the  wooden  frame  work  of  the  car  body.  The 
experiment  with  this  car  demonstrated  to  the  satisfaction  of  its 
builders  the  mechanical  practicability  of  the  use  of  steam  on 
street  railways,  but  the  defects  developed  by  this  experimental 
car  were:  first,  that  it  was  difficult,  or  impossible,  to  make  a 
crank  axle  which  would  not  break,  the  same  experience  being 
reached  in  this  respect  which  had  already  presented  itself  in 
locomotive  construction;  second,  it  was  found  that  great  objec- 
tion existed  to  attaching  the  machinery  to  the  wooden  car  body, 
which  was  not  sufficiently  rigid  for  the  purpose,  and  which 


STEAM    STREET   CAR 

suffered  by  being  racked  and  strained  by  the  working  of  the 
machinery. 

For  these  reasons  this  original  steam  car  was  reconstructed, 
in  accordance  with  the  experience  which  nearly  a  year's  service 
had  suggested.  The  machinery  was  made  outside-connected, 
the" same  as  an  ordinary  locomotive,  and  a  strong  iron  frame- 
work was  designed  entirely  independent  of  the  car  body,  and 
supporting  the  boiler  and  all  the  machinery. 

The  car  as  thus  reconstructed  was  named  the  "Baldwin," 
and  is  shown  by  the  accompanying  illustration. 

The  next  step  in  this  direction  was  the  construction  of  a 
separate  motor,  to  which  one  or  more  cars  could  be  attached. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  71 

Such  a  machine,  weighing  about  sixteen  thousand  pounds,  was 
constructed  in  the  fall  of  1876,  and  sent  to  the  Citizen's  Railway 
of  Baltimore,  which  had  a  maximum  grade  of  seven  feet  per 
hundred,  or  three  hundred  and  sixty-nine  and  six-tenths  feet  per 
mile.  It  ascended  this  grade  drawing  one  loaded  car,  when  the 
tracks  were  covered  with  mixed  snow  and  dirt  to  a  depth  of  eight 
to  ten  inches  in  places.  Another  and  smaller  motor,  weighing 
only  thirteen  thousand  pounds,  was  constructed  about  the  same 
time  for  the  Urbano  Railway,  of  Havana,  Cuba.  Orders  for  other 
similar  machines  followed,  and  during  the  ensuing  years,  1877-80, 
one  hundred  and  seven  separate  motors  and  twelve  steam  cars 
were  included  in  the  product.  Various  city  and  suburban  railways 


STEAM   MOTOR  FOR   STREET  CAR 

were  constructed  with  the  especial  view  of  employing  steam 
power,  and  were  equipped  with  these  machines.  One  line,  the 
Hill  and  West  Dubuque  Street  Railway,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
was  constructed  early  in  1877,  of  three  and  one  half  feet  gauge 
with  a  maximum  gradient  of  nine  in  one  hundred,  and  was 
worked  exclusively  by  two  of  these  motors.  The  details  and 
character  of  construction  of  these  machines  were  essentially  the 
same  locomotive  work,  but  they  were  made  so  as  to  be  sub- 
stantially noiseless,  and  to  show  little  or  no  smoke  and  steam 
in  operation. 

Steel  fireboxes  with  vertical  corrugations  in  the  side  sheets 
were  first  made  by  these  Works  early  in  1876,  in  locomotives  for 
the  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey,  and  for  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railway. 

The  first  American  locomotives  for  New  South  Wales  and 
Queens  were  constructed  by  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
in  1877,  and  have  since  been  succeeded  by  additional  orders. 


72  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

Six  locomotives  of  the  Consolidation  type  for  three  and  one- 
half  feet  gauge  were  also  constructed  in  the  latter  year  for  the 
Government  Railways  of  New  Zealand,  and  two  freight  locomo- 
tives, six- wheels-connected,  with  forward  truck,  for  the  Govern- 
ment of  Victoria.  Four  similar  locomotives  (ten-wheeled,  six 
coupled,  with  sixteen  by  twenty-four  inch  cylinders)  were  also 
built  during  the  same  year  for  the  Norwegian  State  Railways. 

Forty  heavy  Mogul  locomotives  (nineteen  by  twenty- 
four  inch  cylinders,  driving  wheels  four  and  one-half  feet  in  diam- 
eter) were  constructed  early  in  1878  for  two  Russian  Railways 
(the  Koursk  Charkoff  Azof,  and  the  Orel  Griazi).  The  definite 
order  for  these  locomotives  was  received  on  the  sixteenth  of 
December,  1877,  and  as  all  were  required  to  be  delivered  in 
Russia  by  the  following  May,  especial  despatch  was  necessary. 
The  working  force  was  increased  from  eleven  hundred  to  twenty- 
three  hundred  men  in  about  two  weeks.  The  first  of  the  forty 
engines  was  erected  and  tried  under  steam  on  January  5th,  three 
weeks  after  receipt  of  order,  and  was  finished,  ready  to  dismantle 
and  pack  for  shipment,  one  week  later.  The  last  engine  of  this 
order  was  completed  February  13th.  The  forty  engines  were 
thus  constructed  in  about  eight  weeks,  besides  twenty-eight 
additional  engines  on  other  orders,  which  were  constructed, 
wholly  or  partially,  and  shipped  during  the  same  period. 

Four  tramway  motors  of  twelve  tons  weight  were  built  early 
in  1879,  on  the  order  of  the  New  South  Wales  Government,  for 
a  tramway  having  grades  of  six  per  cent.,  and  running  from  the 
railway  terminus  to  the  Sydney  Exhibition  Grounds.  Subse- 
quent orders  followed  for  additional  motors  for  other  tramways 
in  Sydney. 

The  five  thousandth  locomotive,  finished  in  April,  1880, 
presented  some  novel  features.  It  was  designed  for  fast  passen- 
ger service  on  the  Bound  Brook  line  between  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  and  to  run  with  a  light  train  at  a  speed  of  sixty  miles 
per  hour,  using  anthracite  coal  as  fuel.  It  had  cylinders  eighteen 
by  twenty-four  inches,  one  pair  of  driving  wheels  six  and  one-half 
feet  in  diameter,  and  a  pair  of  trailing  wheels  forty-five  inches  in 
diameter,  and  equalized  with  the  driving  wheels.  Back  of  the 
driving  wheels  and  over  the  trailing  wheels  space  was  given  for 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


73 


a  wide  firebox  (eight  feet  long  by  seven  feet  wide  inside)  as 
required  for  anthracite  coal.  By  an  auxiliary  steam  cylinder 
placed  under  the  waist  of  the  boiler,  just  in  front  of  the  firebox, 
the  bearings  on  the  equalizing  beams  between  trailing  and 
driving  wheels  could  be  changed  to  a  point  forward  of  their 
normal  position,  so  as  to  increase  the  weight  on  the  driving 
wheels  when  required.  The  adhesion  could  thus  be  varied 
between  the  limits  of  thirty-five  thousand  and  forty-five  thousand 
pounds  on  the  single  pair  of  driving  wheels.  This  feature  of  the 
locomotive  was  made  the  subject  of  a  patent. 

In  1881,  a  compressed  air  locomotive  was  constructed  for 
the  Pneumatic  Tramway  Engine  Company,  of  New  York,  on 
plans  prepared  by  Mr.  Robert 
Hardie.  Air  tanks  of  steel,  one- 
half  inch  thick,  with  a  capacity 
of  four  hundred  and  sixty-five 
cubic  feet,  were  combined  with 
an  upright  cylindrical  heater, 
thirty-two  and  five-eighths 
inches  in  diameter.  The  weight 
of  the  machine  was  thirty-five 
thousand  pounds,  of  which 
twenty-eight  thousand  pounds 
were  on  four  driving  wheels, 
forty-two  inches  in  diameter. 

The  cylinders  were  twelve  and  one-half  inches  diameter  by 
eighteen  inches  stroke.  Another  novelty  of  the  year  was  a 
steam  car  to  take  the  place  of  a  hand  car.  The  accompanying 
illustration  shows  the  design.  Its  cylinders  were  four  by  ten 
inches,  and  wheels  twenty-four  inches  diameter.  Built  for 
standard  gauge  track,  its  weight  in  working  order  was  five 
thousand  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds.  Similar  cars  have  since 
been  constructed. 

During  this  year  the  largest  single  order  placed  on  the  books 
to  that  date  was  entered  for  the  Mexican  National  Construction 
Company.  It  was  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  locomotives,  but 
only  a  portion  of  them  were  ever  built. 

The  year  1882  was  marked  by  a  demand  for  locomotives 


STEAM  INSPECTION  CAR 


74  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

greater  than  could  be  met  by  the  capacity  of  existing  locomotive 
works.  Orders  for  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-one 
locomotives  were  entered  on  the  books  during  the  year,  deliveries 
of  the  greater  part  being  promised  only  in  the  following  year. 
Early  in  1882  an  inquiry  was  received  from  the  Brazilian 
Government  for  locomotives  for  the  Cantagallo  Railway,  which 
were  required  to  meet  the  following  conditions:  to  haul  a  train 
of  forty  gross  tons  of  cars  and  lading  up  a  grade  of  eight  and 
three-tenths  per  cent.  (four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet 
per  mile),  occurring  in  combination  with  curves  of  forty  metres 
radius  (one  hundred  and  thirty-one  feet  radius,  or  forty-three  and 
eight-tenths  degrees).  The  line  was  laid  with  heavy  steel  rails, 
to  a  gauge  of  one  and  one-tenth  metres,  or  three  feet  seven  and 
one-third  inches.  The  track  upon  which  it  was  proposed  to 
run  these  locomotives  was  a  constant  succession  of  reverse  curves, 
it  being  stated  that  ninety-one  curves  of  the  radius  named  oc- 
curred within  a  distance  of  three  thousand  four  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  metres,  or  about  two  miles.  The  line  had  previously 
been  operated  on  the  "Fell"  system,  with  central  rack-rail,  and  it 
wras  proposed  to  introduce  locomotives  working  by  ordinary 
adhesion,  utilizing  the  central  rail  for  the  application  of  brake 
power.  An  order  was  eventually  received  to  proceed  with  the 
construction  of  three  locomotives  to  do  this  work.  The  engines 
built  were  of  the  following  general  dimensions,  viz.:  cylinders, 
eighteen  by  twenty  inches;  six  driving  wheels,  connected,  thirty- 
nine  inches  in  diameter;  wheel  base,  nine  feet  six  inches;  boiler, 
fifty-four  inches  in  diameter,  with  one  hundred  and  ninety  flues 
two  inches  diameter,  ten  feet  nine  inches  long;  and  with  side 
tanks,  carried  on  the  locomotive.  In  March,  1883,  they  were 
shipped  from  Philadelphia,  and  on  a  trial  made  October  17,  in 
the  presence  of  the  officials  of  the  road  and  other  prominent 
railway  officers,  the  guaranteed  performance  was  accomplished. 
One  of  the  engines  pulled  a  train  weighing  forty  tons,  composed 
of  three  freight  cars  loaded  with  sleepers,  and  one  passenger  car, 
and  made  the  first  distance  of  eight  kilometres  to  Boca  do  Mato 
with  a  speed  of  twenty-four  kilometres  per  hour;  from  there  it 
started,  making  easily  an  acclivity  of  eight  and  five-tenths  per  cent, 
in  grade,  and  against  a  curve  of  forty  metres  in  radius.  Eight 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  75 


additional  locomotives  for  this  line  were  constructed  at  intervals 
during  the  following  ten  years,  and  the  road  has  been  worked  by 
adhesion  locomotives  since  their  adoption  as  above  described. 

In  1885  a  locomotive  was  built  for  the  Dom  Pedro  Segundo 
Railway  of  Brazil,  having  five  pairs  of  driving  wheels  connected, 
and  a  leading  two-wheeled  truck.  From  this  has  arisen  the 
title  "Decapod"  (having  ten  feet)  as  applied  to  subsequent  loco- 
motives of  this  type.  Its  cylinders  were  twenty-two  by  twenty- 
six  inches;  driving  wheels  forty-five  inches  diameter,  and  grouped 
in  a  driving  wheel  base  of  seventeen  feet.  The  rear  flanged 
driving  wheels,  however,  were  given  one-quarter  of  an  inch  more 
total  play  on  the  rails  than  the  next  adjacent  pair;  the  second 


DECAPOD  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the   Dom   Pedro   Segundo   Railway   of   Brazil 

and  third  pairs  were  without  flanges,  and  the  front  pair  was 
flanged.  The  locomotive  could  therefore  pass  a  curve  of  a  radius 
as  short  as  five  hundred  feet,  the  rails  being  spread  one-half  inch 
wider  than  the  gauge  of  track,  as  is  usual  on  curves.  The  flanges 
of  the  first  and  fourth  pairs  of  driving  wheels  making  practically 
a  rigid  wheel  base  of  twelve  feet  eight  inches,  determined  the 
friction  on  a  curve.  The  weight  of  the  engine,  in  working  order, 
was  one  hundred  and  forty-one  thousand  pounds,  of  which  one 
hundred  and  twenty-six  thousand  pounds  were  on  the  driving 
wheels.  During  this  year  the  first  rack-rail  locomotive  in  the 
practice  of  these  Works  was  constructed  for  the  Ferro  Principe 
do  Grao  Para  Railroad  of  Brazil.  Its  general  dimensions  were : 
cylinders,  twelve  by  twenty  inches;  pitch  line  of  cog-wheel, 
forty-one  and  thirty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  weight,  fifteen 
and  seventy-four  one-hundredths  tons.  Several  additional  similar 


76  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

locomotives,  but  of  different  weights,  have  since  been  constructed 
for  the  same  line. 

At  the  close  of  this  year  Mr.  Edward  Longstreth  withdrew 
from  the  firm  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  a  new  partnership 
was  formed,  adding  Messrs.  William  C.  Stroud,  William  H. 
Morrow,  and  William  L.  Austin.  Mr.  Stroud  had  been  connected 
with  the  business  since  1867,  first  as  bookkeeper,  and  subse- 
quently as  Financial  Manager.  Mr.  Morrow,  since  entering 
the  service  in  1871,  had  acquired  a  varied  and  valuable  experi- 
ence, first  in  the  accounts,  then  in  the  department  of  extra 
work,  and  subsequently  as  Assistant  Superintendent,  becoming 
General  Manager  on  Mr.  Longstreth's  retirement.  Mr.  Austin, 
who  entered  the  works  in  1870,  had  for  several  years  been  assist- 
ant to  Mr.  Henszey  in  all  matters  connected  with  the  designing 
of  locomotives. 

On  February  11,  1886,  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain,  who  had  been 
connected  with  the  Works  since  1883,  was  appointed  General 
Superintendent.  The  retirement  of  Mr.  Longstreth  was  neces- 
sarily followed  by  a  number  of  changes  in  the  organization.  Mr. 
Edwin  W7.  Heald,  who  had  been  assisting  Mr.  Longstreth  and 
was  in  line  for  promotion  to  the  position  of  General  Super- 
intendent, was  unable  to  assume  the  duties  of  the  office  on 
account  of  poor  health,  hence  Mr.  Vauclain's  appointment. 

A  locomotive  for  the  Antofogasta  Railway  (thirty  inches 
gauge)  of  Chili,  constructed  with  outside  frames,  was  completed 


LOCOMOTIVE  WITH  OUTSIDE  FRAMES 
For  the  Antofogasta  Railway,  Chili 


in  November,  1886,  and  is  shown  by  the  illustration  herewith. 
The  advantages  of  this  method  of  construction  of  narrow  gauge 
locomotives  in  certain  cases  were  evidenced  in  the  working  of 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  77 

this  machine,  in  giving  a  greater  width  of  firebox  between  the 
frames,  and  a  greater  stability  of  the  engine  due  to  the  outside 
journal  bearings. 

In  1887,  a  new  form  of  boiler  was  brought  out  in  some  ten- 
wheeled  locomotives  constructed  for  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande 
Railroad.  A  long  wagon-top  was  used,  extending  sufficiently 
forward  of  the  crown  sheet  to  allow  the  dome  to  be  placed  in 
front  of  the  firebox  and  near  the  center  of  the  boiler,  and  the 
crown  sheet  was  supported  by  radial  stays  from  the  outside  shell. 
Many  boilers  of  this  type  have  since  been  constructed. 

Mr.  Charles  T.  Parry,  who  had  been  connected  with  the 
Works  almost  from  their  beginning,  and  a  partner  since  1867, 
died  on  July  18,  1887,  after  an  illness  of  several  months. 

The  first  locomotives  for  Japan  were  shipped  in  June,  1887. 
These  were  two  six-wheeled  engines  of  three  feet  six  inches  gauge 
for  the  Mie  Kie  mines. 

Mr.  William  H.  Morrow,  a  partner  since  January  1,  1886, 
and  who  had  been  previously  associated  with  the  business  since 
1871,  died  February  19,  1888. 

The  demand  for  steam  motors  for  street  railway  service 
attained  large  proportions  at  this  period,  and  ninety-five  were 
built  during  the   years  1888 
and  1889.  Two  rack-rail  loco- 
motives  on   the   Riggenbach 
system,    one    with    a    single 
cog-wheel  and  four  carrying 
wheels,  and  weighing  in  work- 
ing order  thirty-two  thousand 
pounds,    for    the    Corcovado 
Railway   of    Brazil,  and    the         RACK  LocOMOTIVE,  RIGGENBACH  SYSTEM 
other  having  two  cog-wheels 

and  eight  carrying  wheels,  and  weighing  in  working  order  seventy- 
nine  thousand  pounds,  for  the  Estrada  de  Ferro  Principe  do  Grao 
Para  of  Brazil,  were  constructed  during  this  year.  Illustrations 
of  these  locomotives  are  presented  herewith. 

The  ten  thousandth  locomotive  was  built  in  June,  1889, 
for  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  This  locomotive  had  twenty- 
two  by  twenty-eight  inch  cylinders,  and  weighed  one  hundred 


78  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


and  forty-seven  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  in  working  order. 
It  was  representative  of  the  heaviest  class  of  Consolidation  loco- 
motive built  at  that  time. 

In   October,    1889,    the   first  compound   locomotive   in   the 

practice  of  the  Works  was 
completed  and  placed  on  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 
It  was  of  the  four-cylinder 
type,  as  designed  and  patented 
by  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain.  The 
economy  in  fuel  and  water 

RACK   LOCOMOTIVE  WITH   Two  COG-WHEELS      and  the  efficiency    of    this    de- 

sign  in  both  passenger  and 

freight  service  led  to  its  introduction  on  many  leading  railroads, 
and  Vauclain  compound  locomotives  were  built  in  large  numbers 
during  the  fifteen  years  following  the  construction  of  the  first  one. 

In  1889  a  test  case  was  made  to  see  in  how  short  a  time  a 
locomotive  could  be  built.  On  June  22d,  Mr.  Robert  Coleman 
ordered  a  narrow  gauge  locomotive  of  the  American  type,  which 
was  to  be  ready  for  service  on  his  railroad  in  Lebanon  County, 
Pa.,  by  July  4th  following.  The  locomotive  was  actually  com- 
pleted on  July  2d,  having  been  built  from  the  raw  material 
in  eight  working  days. 

The  manufacture  of  wrought  iron  wheel  centers  for  both 
truck  and  driving  wheels  was  begun  at  this  time  under  patents 
of  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain,  Nos.  462,605,  462,606  and  531,487. 

During  the  year  1890,  the  Erecting  Shop,  which  fronted 
on  Broad  Street,  adjoining  the  main  office,  was  entirely  recon- 
structed. The  new  shop  was  a  single-story  building,  42  feet 
high  to  the  eaves,  and  measuring  160  feet  wide  by  337  feet  long. 
It  contained  nineteen  tracks,  each  capable  of  accommodating 
four  locomotives.  All  the  machinery  in  the  shop  wras  driven  by 
electric  motors,  and  material  was  handled  by  two  electric  travel- 
ling cranes  of  100  tons  capacity  each.  This  is  the  first  instance 
on  record  of  a  shop  being  electrically  equipped  throughout. 

In  1890  the  first  rack-rail  locomotive  on  the  Abt  system  was 
constructed  for  the  Pike's  Peak  Railroad,  and  during  this  year 
and  1893  four  locomotives  were  built  for  working  the  grades 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


RACK  LOCOMOTIVE,  ABT  SYSTEM 


of  that  line,  which  vary  from  eight  to  twenty-five  per  cent. 
One  of  these  locomotives,  weighing  in  working  order  fifty-two 
thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  pushes  twenty-five 
thousand  pounds  up  the  maximum  grades  of  one  in  four.  An 
illustration  is  here  given  of 
one  of  these  locomotives, 
which  is  a  four-cylinder 
compound. 

Three  Mogul  locomo- 
tives, of  one  metre  gauge, 
fifteen  by  eighteen  inch 
cylinders,  driving  wheels 
forty-one  inches  diameter, 
were  completed  and  shipped 
in  July,  1890,  for  working 

the  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem  Railway  in  Palestine,  and  two  additional 
locomotives  for  the  same  line  were  constructed  in  1892. 

In  1891  the  name  of  the  firm  was  changed  to  Burnham, 
Williams  &  Co.,  the  partners  being  George  Burnham,  Edward 
H.  Williams,  William  P.  Henszey,  John  H.  Converse,  William 
C.  Stroud,  and  William  L.  Austin. 

In  1891  the  largest  locomotives  in  the  practice  of  the  Works, 
to  that  date,  were  designed  and  constructed  for  the  St.  Clair 
Tunnel  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  under  the  St.  Clair  River. 

Four  tank  locomotives 
were  supplied,  each 
with  cylinders  twenty- 
two  by  twenty-eight 
inches;  five  pairs  of 
driving  wheels  con- 
nected, fifty  inches  di- 
ameter; and  side  tanks 
of  twenty-one  hundred 
and  ten  gallons  capacity.  The  weight  in  working  order  of  each 
engine  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  thousand  eight  hundred 
pounds  without  fire  in  the  firebox.  The  tunnel  is  six  thousand 
feet  long,  with  grades  of  two  per  cent,  at  each  entrance,  twenty- 
five  hundred,  and  nineteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  respec- 


TEN  COUPLED  TANK  LOCOMOTIVE 


80  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

tively.  Each  locomotive  was  required  to  take  a  train  load  of  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  tons  exclusive  of  its  own  weight,  and  in  actual 
operation  each  of  these  locomotives  has  hauled  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty-three  loaded  cars  in  one  train  through  the  tunnel. 
For  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie  and  Western  Railroad,  five 
compound  locomotives  of  the  Decapod  class  were  completed 
in  December,  1891.  Their  general  dimensions  were  as  follows: 
cylinders,  high-pressure  sixteen  inches,  low-pressure  twenty- 
seven  inches  diameter,  stroke  twenty-eight  inches;  five  pairs  of 
driving  wheels  coupled,  fifty  inches  diameter,  in  a  wheel  base  of 
eighteen  feet  ten  inches;  boiler,  seventy-six  inches  diameter, 
of  theWootten  type;  weight  in  working  order,  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  thousand  pounds;  and  weight  on  driving  wheels,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  thousand  pounds.  The  first,  fourth 

and  fifth  pairs  of  driving 
wheels  were  flanged,  but 
the  fifth  pair  had  one- 
fourth  inch  additional  play 
on  the  track.  These  lo- 
comotives were  used  as 
pushers  on  the  Susque- 
hanna  Hill,  where  curves  of 
five  degrees  are  combined 

RACK-RAIL  LOCOMOTIVE  FOR  ITALY  with     grades    of    sixty    feet 

per  mile,  doing  the  work  of 

two  ordinary  Consolidation  locomotives.  From  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  fifty  to  one  thousand  three  hundred  net  tons 
of  cars  and  lading,  making  a  train  of  forty-five  loaded  cars,  were 
hauled  by  one  of  these  locomotives  in  connection  with  a  twenty 
by  twenty-four  inch  cylinder  Consolidation. 

Mr.  William  C.  Stroud,  who  had  been  a  partner  since  1886, 
died  on  September  21,  1891. 

The  first  locomotives  for  Africa  were  constructed  during  this 
year.  They  were  of  the  Mogul  type,  with  cylinders  eighteen 
by  twenty-two  inches,  driving  wheels  forty-eight  inches  diameter, 
and  of  three  feet  six  inches  gauge. 

The  product  of  1892  and  1893  included,  as  novelties,  two 
rack-rail  locomotives  for  a  mountain  railway  near  Florence, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  81 

Italy,  and  twenty-five  compound  Forney  locomotives  for  the 
South  Side  Elevated  Railroad  of  Chicago.  At  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago,  May  to  October,  1893,  in- 
clusive, an  exhibit  was  made,  consisting  of  seventeen  locomo- 
tives, as  follows: 

STANDARD  GAUGE. — A  Decapod  locomotive,  similar  to  those 
previously  described,  built  in  1891  for  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie 
and  Western  Railroad.  A  high-speed  locomotive  of  new  type,  with 
Vauclain  compound  cylinders,  a  two-wheeled  leading  truck,  two 
pairs  of  driving  wheels,  and  a  pair  of  trailing  wheels  under  the 
firebox.  This  locomotive  was  named  "Columbia,"  and  the  same 
name  has  been  applied  to  the  type.  An  express  passenger  loco- 
motive of  the  pattern  used  by  the  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey; 
one  of  the  pattern  used  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad, 
and  one  of  the  pattern  used  by  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 
The  three  roads  mentioned  together  operated  the  "Royal  Blue 
Line"  between  New  York  and  Washington.  A  saddle  tank 
double-ender  type  locomotive,  with  steam  windlass,  illustrating 
typical  logging  locomotive  practice.  A  single  expansion  Ameri- 
can type  locomotive  with  cylinders  eighteen  by  twenty-four 
inches.  A  single  expansion  Mogul  locomotive  with  cylinders 
nineteen  by  twenty-four  inches.  A  single  expansion  ten-wheeled 
freight  locomotive  with  cylinders  twenty  by  .twenty-four  inches, 
for  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Southwestern  Railroad.  A  compound 
ten-wheeled  passenger  locomotive  shown  in  connection  with  a 
train  exhibited  by  the  Pullman  Car  Company.  A  compound 
Consolidation  locomotive  for  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railroad. 

Three  locomotives  were  shown  in  connection  with  the 
special  exhibit  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  viz.:  one  com- 
pound, one  single-expansion,  and  one  ten-wheeled  passenger 
locomotive. 

NARROW  GAUGE. — A  metre  gauge  compound  American 
type  locomotive ;  a  three  feet  gauge  ten-wheeled  compound  loco- 
motive with  outside  frames,  for  the  Mexican  National  Railroad; 
and  a  thirty  inch  gauge  saddle  tank  locomotive  for  mill  or 
furnace  work. 

The  depression  of  business  which  began  in  the  summer 
of  1893,  reduced  the  output  of  the  Works  for  that  year  to  seven 


82 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


hundred  and  seventy-two,  and  in  1894  to  three  hundred  and 
thirteen  locomotives.  Early  in  1895,  a  new  type  of  passenger 
locomotive,  illustrated  herewith,  was  brought  out  for  the  Atlantic 
Coast  Line.  To  this  the  name  "Atlantic"  type  was  given.  The 
advantages  of  this  design  are  a  large  boiler,  fitting  the  engine  for 


ATLANTIC  TYPK  LOCOMOTIVE 

high  speed;  a  firebox  of  liberal  proportions  and  of  desirable 
form  placed  over  the  rear  frames,  and  having  ample  depth 
and  width;  and  the  location  of  the  driving  wheels  in  front  of 
the  firebox,  allowing  the  boiler  to  be  placed  lower  than  in  the 
ordinary  American  or  Ten-wheeled  type.  For  the  enginemen, 
who,  in  this  class  of  locomotive,  ride  behind,  instead  of  over  the 
driving  wheels,  greater  ease  in  riding,  and  greater  safety  in  case 
of  the  breakage  of  a  side-rod,  are  important  advantages. 

The  first  electric  locomotive  was  constructed  in  1895,  and 
was  intended  for  experimental  work  for  account  of  the  North 

American  Company.  The 

;jj|K"SiHn*iii^j  -.  electrical    parts   were 

m  f^^lP^  designed    by   Messrs. 

Sprague,  Duncan  & 
Hutchison,  Electrical  En- 
gineers, New  York.  Two 
other  electric  locomotives 
for  use  in  connection  with 

ELECTRIC  LOCOMOTIVE  mining    operations    were 

built  in  1896,  in  co-opera- 
tion with  the  Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, which  supplied  the  electrical  parts. 

A  high  speed  passenger  locomotive,  embracing  several  novel 
features,  was  built  in  1895,  for  service  on  the  New  York  division 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  83 

of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad.  The  boiler  was  of 
the  Wootten  type,  the  cylinders  were  compound,  thirteen  and 
twenty-two  by  twenty-six  inches,  and  the  driving  wheels  (one 
pair)  were  eighty-four  and  one-quarter  inches  diameter.  The 
cut  below  shows  the  general  design. 

The  weight  of  the  engine  in  working  order  was  as  follows: 
On  front  truck,  thirty-nine  thousand  pounds;  on  trailing  wheels, 
twenty-eight  thousand  pounds;  on  the  driving  wheels,  forty- 
eight  thousand  pounds.  This  locomotive  and  a  duplicate  built 
in  the  following  year  were  regularly  used  in  passenger  service, 


HIGH   SPEED  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railway 

hauling  five  cars  and  making  the  distance  between  Jersey  City 
and  Philadelphia,  ninety  miles,  in  one  hundred  and  five  minutes, 
including  six  stops. 

In  July,  1895,  a  combination  rack  and  adhesion  locomotive 
was  constructed  for  the  San  Domingo  Improvement  Company. 
This  locomotive  was  designed  by  Messrs.  Wm.  P.  Henszey  and 
S.  M.  Vauclain,  and  was  made  the  subject  of  a  patent.  It 
had  compound  cylinders  eight  inches  and  thirteen  inches 
diameter  by  eighteen  inches  stroke  to  operate  two  pairs 
of  coupled  adhesion  wheels, 
and  a  pair  of  single  expansion 
cylinders,  eleven  inches  by 
eighteen  inches,  to  operate  a 
single  rack  wheel  constructed 
upon  the  Abt  system.  It  was 
furnished  with  two  complete 

f  ,  .  .      ,        COMBINATION  RACK  AND  ADHESION  LOCOMOTIVE 

sets    of    machinery,    entirely      For  the  San  Domingo  improvement  Co. 
independent    of    each   other, 

and  was  built  with  the  view  eventually  to  remove  the  rack 
attachments  and  operate  the  locomotive  by  adhesion  alone. 


84 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


During  the  years  1895  and  1896  contracts  were  executed  for 
several  railroads  in  Russia,  aggregating  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  locomotives  of  the  four-cylinder  compound  type. 

On  January  1,  1896, 
Messrs.  Samuel  M.  Vau- 
clain,  Alba  B.  Johnson,  and 
George  Burnham,  Jr.,  were 
admitted  to  partnership. 

Two  combination  rack 
and  adhesion  locomotives, 
for  the  Penoles  Mining 

COMBINATION  RACK  AND  ADHESION  LOCOMOTIVE       Companv  of   Mexico,   were 
For  the  Penoles  Mining  Co.  .       * 

built  in  1896,  having  com- 
pound cylinders  nine  and  one-half  and  fifteen  inches  diameter 
by  twenty-two  inches  stroke,  connected  to  the  driving  wheels 
through  walking  beams. 

Each  locomotive  had  three  coupled  axles,  which  carried  rack 
pinions  of  the  Abt  system.  When  operating  on  the  rack  section 
of  the  line,  all  the  wheels  ran  loose  on  the  axles,  and  acted  as 


CLUTCH  USED  ON  LOCOMOTIVE  FOR  PENOLES  MINING  Co. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  85 

carrying  wheels  only.  When,  however,  it  was  necessary  to 
propel  the  locomotive  by  adhesion  alone,  two  pairs  of  wheels 
could  be  secured  to  their  respective  axles,  and  thus  made  to 
turn  with  them,  by  means  of  clutches.  These  clutches  were 
controlled  by  a  hand  lever  placed  in  the  cab.  This  device  was 
made  the  subject  of  a  patent,  which  was  granted  to  Messrs. 
S.  M.  Vauclain  and  J.  Y.  McConnell.  The  drawing  of  the 
clutch  mechanism  on  page  84  is  reproduced  from  the  patent 
specification. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1896,  six  locomotives  were 
built  for  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  for  express  passenger 
service.  One  of  these  locomotives,  No.  1312,  is  here  illustrated. 
They  were  of  the  Ten-wheeled  type,  with  cylinders  twenty-one  by 
twenty-six  inches,  driving  wheels  seventy-eight  inches  diameter, 
and  weighed  each,  in  working  order,  about  one  hundred  and 


TEN-WHEELED  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad 

forty-five  thousand  pounds,  about  one  hundred  and  thirteen 
thousand  pounds  of  which  were  on  the  driving  wheels.  These 
locomotives  handled  the  fast  passenger  trains  on  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  Railroad  running  between  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and 
Washington  with  great  efficiency  for  about  fifteen  years,  when 
they  were  replaced  by  heavier  power. 

Early  in  1897,  a  group  of  unusually  interesting  locomotives 
were  shipped  to  the  Nippon  Railway  (Japan).  These  loco- 
motives were  all  designed  to  burn  a  most  inferior  quality  of  coal, 
requiring  large  grate  area  and  a  firebox  of  ample  depth  and 
volume.  They  were  of  two  types — the  Atlantic,  for  passenger 
service,  and  a  modified  design  of  Consolidation  for  freight 
service.  The  latter  had  a  wide,  deep  firebox,  which  was  placed 


86 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


entirely  back  of  the  driving  wheels  and  over  a  rear  truck.  The 
accompanying  illustration  represents  the  design.  All  these 
locomotives  proved  highly  successful.  Freight  locomotives  of  a 
design  similar  to  those  built  for  the  Nippon  Railway,  were 
subsequently  introduced  in  the  United  States,  and  were  ap- 
propriately designated  the  "Mikado"  type. 


THE  FIRST  MIKADO  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE  BUILT  FOR  THE  NIPPON  RAILWAY 

In  the  summer  of  1897,  the  Reading  Railway  placed  a  fast 
train  on  its  Atlantic  City  Division,  allowing  fifty- two  minutes 
for  running  time  from  Camden  to  Atlantic  City,  a  distance  of 
fifty-five  and  one-half  miles,  making  the  average  rate  of  speed 
sixty-four  miles  per  hour.  The  trains  averaged  five  and  six  cars, 
having  a  total  weight  of  about  two  hundred  tons,  not  including 
the  engine  and  tender.  This  train  was  hauled  by  a  locomo- 
tive of  the  Atlantic  type,  having  Vauclain  compound  cylinders, 
thirteen  and  twenty-two  inches  in  diameter  by  twenty-six  inches 
stroke,  with  driving  wheels  eighty-four  and  one-quarter  inches  in 
diameter.  The  weight  in  working  order  on  driving  wheels  was 


ATLANTIC   TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For   Philadelphia   and    Reading   Railway 


seventy-eight  thousand  six  hundred  pounds,  the  total  weight  of 
engine  and  tender  complete  being  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
thousand  pounds.  The  records  show  that  for  fifty-two  days  from 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN'    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  87 


July  2d  to  August  31,  1897,  the  average  time  consumed  on  the 
run  was  forty-eight  minutes,  equivalent  to  a  uniform  rate  of 
speed  from  start  to  stop  of  sixty-nine  miles  per  hour.  On  one 
occasion  the  distance  was  covered  in  forty-six  and  one-half 
minutes,  an  average  of  seventy-one  and  six-tenths  miles  per  hour. 
The  Railway  Company's  official  record  of  the  train  for  the  season 
is  reproduced  on  the  following  page.  The  service  proved  so 
popular  that  additional  trains,  making  equally  high  speed,  were 
subsequently  established. 

In  1898,  the  first  cast  steel  frames  used  by  the  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  were  applied  to  a  consignment  of  Consolida- 
tion locomotives  built  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe 
Railway  Company. 

In  November,  1898,  a  locomotive  was  built  for  the  Lehigh 
Valley  Railroad  for  use  on  the  mountain  cut-off  between  Coxton 
and  Fairview,  near  Wilkesbarre.  This  locomotive  was  of  the 
Consolidation  type,  with  Vauclain  compound  cylinders,  and  of 
the  following  general  dimensions:  cylinders,  eighteen  and  thirty 
inches  diameter,  thirty  inches  stroke;  driving  wheels,  fifty-five 
inches  outside  diameter;  weight  in  working  order,  on  drivers, 
two  hundred  and  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty-two 
pounds;  weight,  total  engine,  two  hundred  and  twenty-six 
thousand  pounds;  weight  of  engine  and  tender  about  three 
hundred  and  forty-six  thousand  pounds.  This  locomotive  was 


CONSOLIDATION  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad 


guaranteed  to  haul  a  load  of  one  thousand  net  tons  exclusive  of 
the  weight  of  the  engine  and  tender,  on  a  grade  of  sixty-six  feet 
per  mile,  at  an  average  speed  of  seventeen  miles  per  hour.  It 
fulfilled  this  guarantee  and  fourteen  similar  locomotives  were 
subsequently  ordered  by  this  Company. 


88 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


89 


In  March,  1899,  two  locomotives  were  built  for  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad,  for  the  fast  mail  service  west  of 
Chicago.  These  were  of  the  Atlantic  type  with  Vauclain  com- 
pound cylinders,  thirteen  and  one-half  and  twenty-three  inches 
in  diameter,  and  twenty-six  inches  stroke;  driving  wheels  eighty- 
four  and  one-quarter  inches  in  diameter;  weight,  in  working 


ATLANTIC  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad 

order,  eighty-five  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  on 
driving  wheels,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  thousand  pounds 
total  of  engine.  The  total  weight  of  engine  and  tender  complete 
was  about  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  thousand  pounds.  An 
illustration  of  one  of  these  locomotives  is  shown  above. 

Dr.  Edward  H.  Williams,  who  had  been  connected  with  the 
Works  as  a  partner  since  1870,  died  December  21,  1899,  at  Santa 
Barbara,  California. 

The  year  1899  was  marked  by  a  large  increase  in  foreign 
business,  notably  in  England  and  France.  Contracts  were  made 
in  England  covering  thirty  locomotives  for  the  Midland  Railway, 
twenty  locomotives  for  the  Great  Northern  Railway,  and  twenty 
locomotives  for  the  Great  Central  Railway.  Ten  locomotives 
were  also  ordered  by  the  French  State  Railways,  and  ten  by  the 
Bone  Guelma  Railway,  in  the  French  colonies  of  Algiers. 


COMPOUND  ATLANTIC  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Bavarian  State  Railways 


90  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

In  the  fall  of  this  year  two  Vauclain  compound  Consolidation 
freight  locomotives  were  built  for  the  Bavarian  State  Railways. 
These  were  ordered  as  samples,  the  company  practically  announc- 
ing its  intention  of  modeling  future  locomotives  for  their  freight 
traffic  after  these  engines.  So  well  did  these  sample  locomotives 
perform,  that  in  the  following  year,  the  management  decided  to 
order  two  passenger  engines  of  the  compound  Atlantic  type,  and 
also  embody  in  their  passenger  motive  power  the  new  features 
contained  in  these  machines. 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  exhibited  two  locomotives 
at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1900 — a  "goods"  locomotive  of  the 
Mogul  type  for  the  Great  Northern  Railway,  of  England,  and 
an  Atlantic  type  passenger  locomotive  for  the  French  State 
Railways.  The  exhibit  of  the  French  State  Railways  also  in- 
cluded a  compound  American  type  passenger  locomotive  built 
by  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works.  These  engines  were  built 
in  the  regular  course  of  business  for  the  companies  whose  names 
they  bore,  and  went  into  service  on  these  roads  immediately  after 
the  Exposition  was  over.  In  this  year  also  large  orders  were  filled 
for  the  Chinese  Eastern  Railroad,  the  Paris-Orleans  Railway,  the 
Finland  State,  the  Egyptian  State  and  the  Belgian  State  Rail- 
ways. 

The  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century  witnessed  great 
industrial  prosperity  in  America  and  large  demands  for  rail- 
way freight  transportation.  The  introduction  of  cars  of  large 
capacity  became  general  on  American  railroads,  a  tendency 


COMPOUND  PRAIRIE  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and   Santa  Fe  Railway 

which  had  been  gradually  developing  for  some  years.  This 
involved  increased  train  tonnage,  improved  road  beds,  heavier 
rails,  stronger  bridges  and  more  powerful  locomotives.  The 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN*    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  91 

locomotive  has  always  reflected  the  changes  in  railroad  prac- 
tice. Just  as  the  demand  for  increased  horse  power,  involving 
greater  steaming  capacity  and  a  larger  grate  area,  evolved  the 
Atlantic  type  engine  from  the  American  or  eight-wheeled  pas- 
senger engine;  so,  in  order  to  secure  a  locomotive  with  ample 
heating  surface  and  suitable  firebox  to  handle  heavy  trains  at 
high  speed,  the  Prairie  type  was  designed,  being  a  logical  develop- 
ment of  the  Mogul  and  Ten-wheeled  engines.  The  Prairie  type 
engine  has  a  leading  pony  truck,  three  pairs  of  driving  wheels, 
and  a  wide  firebox  extending  over  the  frames  and  placed  back  of 
the  driving  wheels.  To  support  this  overhanging  weight,  a  pair 
of  trailing  wheels  is  placed  underneath  the  firebox.  Fifty  loco- 
motives of  this  type  were  built  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy  Railroad,  and  forty-five  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and 
Santa  Fe  Railway,  in  1901. 

At  the  Pan-American  Exposition,  held  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
during  1901,  a  new  departure  in  locomotive  practice  was  ex- 
hibited by  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works.  This  was  a  Ten- 
wheeled  locomotive,  built  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
the  firebox  and  tender  of  which  were  of  special  construction, 
embodying  the  inventions  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  M.E. 
The  firebox  was  cylindrical  in  form,  with  annular  corrugations, 


TEN-WHEELED  LOCOMOTIVE 
With  Vanderbilt  Boiler  and  Tender 

its  axis  eccentric  to  that  of  the  boiler.  It  was  riveted  to  the  back 
head  of  the  boiler,  and  was  supported  at  the  bottom  by  the  mud 
rings;  but  otherwise  was  entirely  disconnected  from  the  outer 
shell,  thus  eliminating  stay  bolts  and  crown  bars,  necessary  to 
flat  surfaces  in  usual  construction.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
ease  with  which  the  firebox  could  be  removed,  and  the  absence 
of  the  usual  repairs  incidental  to  the  renewal  of  stay  bolts,  would 


92  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

commend  it.  Defects  developed,  however,  which  caused  this 
type  of  boiler  to  be  abandoned  after  a  few  years'  trial.  The 
feature  of  the  tender  was  a  cylindrical  instead  of  the  ordinary 
U-shaped  tank  placed  back  of  the  coal  space,  the  advantage  being 
a  better  distribution  of  weight,  and  a  smaller  proportion  of  dead 
weight  to  carrying  capacity.  These  tenders  are  still  being  built 
when  specified  by  railroad  companies. 

The  year  1901  was  especially  noticeable  for  the  large  volume 
of  domestic  business  handled,  there  being  great  demand  for 
motive  power  from  the  railroads  of  the  West  and  Southwest. 
Large  orders  were  placed  with  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
in  this  year  by  the  Union  Pacific;  Chicago,  Burlirrgton  and 
Quincy;  Choctaw,  Oklahoma  and  Gulf;  Toledo,  .St.  Louis  and 
Western;  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe;  Chicago  and  Alton; 
Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas;  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul, 
and  Southern  Pacific  Railroads.  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  in 
this  year,  ordered  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  locomotives  of 
various  types  from  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  and  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  also  placed  an  order  for  over  one 
hundred  locomotives. 

The  locomotives  built  for  export,  during  1901,  included  ten 
for  the  New  Zealand  Government  Railways,  which  were  designed 
to  use  lignite  as  fuel.  They  had  three  pairs  of  coupled  driving- 
wheels,  a  four-wheeled  leading  truck,  and  a  two-wheeled  trailing 
truck,  over  which  was  placed  a  deep,  wide  firebox.  This  type 
subsequently  became  known  as  the  "Pacific,"  and  because  of  its 
high  steaming  capacity  and  adhesion,  was  built  in  large  numbers 
for  heavy  passenger  service  in  the  United  States. 

The  month  of  February,  1902,  witnessed  the  completion  of 
the  twenty  thousandth  locomotive  built  by  the  Baldwin  Locomo- 
tive Works.  This  engine  embodied  several  interesting  features, 
including  a  new  arrangement  of  Vauclain  compound  cylinders. 
In  the  compound  locomotives  previously  constructed,  a  high  and 
a  low  pressure  cylinder  had  been  used  on  each  side  of  the  locomo- 
tive, the  two  cylinders  on  the  same  side  being  placed  one  above  the 
other.  In  locomotive  No.  20,000  the  axes  of  the  four  cylinders 
were  placed  in  the  same  horizontal  plane,  the  two  high  pressure 
cylinders  being  between  the  frames  and  the  two  low  pressure 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


93 


outside.  The  high  pressure  pistons  were  connected  to  cranks, 
placed  on  the  axle  of  the  first  pair  of  driving  wheels;  while  the 
low  pressure  pistons  were  connected  to  crank  pins  outside  the 


BALANCED  COMPOUND  LOCOMOTIVE 
Baldwia  Engine  No.  20,000 

wheels,  in  the  usual  manner.  With  this  construction  there  were 
of  course  four  sets  of  guides,  as  well  as  four  crossheads  and  main 
rods.  The  two  cranks  on  the  axle  were  placed  ninety  degrees 
apart,  and  each  of  them  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  degrees 
from  the  corresponding  crank  pin  on  the  outside  of  the  wheel. 
The  two  pistons  on  the  same  side  of  the  locomotive  thus  opposed 
one  another  in  movement,  starting  their  strokes  simultaneously 


CROSS  SECTION  OF  BALANCED  COMPOUND  CYLINDERS 

from  opposite  ends  of  their  respective  cylinders.    With  this  con- 
struction, the  disturbing  effects  of  the  reciprocating  weights  are 


94  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


partially  neutralized;  and  no  excess  weight  need  be  used  in 
counterbalancing  the  driving  wheels.  This  obviates  the  so- 
called  "hammer  blow,"  which  is  always  present  in  locomotives 
having  outside  cylinders  only.  Balanced  compound  locomotives, 
as  described  above,  can  carry  a  maximum  load  on  driving  wheels 
without  detriment  to  the  track,  as  the  greatest  pressure  on  the 
rail  is  that  due  to  the  static  wheel  load. 

In  balanced  compound  locomotives  of  the  Vauclain  type, 
the  steam  distribution  to  each  pair  of  cylinders  is  controlled  by 
a  single  piston  valve,  so  that  the  valve  gear  is  no  more  compli- 
cated than  that  of  a  single  expansion  locomotive.  Upward  of 
five  hundred  of  these  locomotives  had  been  built  up  to  the  close 
of  1912,  the  majority  of  them  for  fast  passenger  service.  With 
the  advent  of  high  temperature  superheating,  however,  the  build- 
ing of  this  type  of  locomotive  for  American  railroads  practically 
ceased . 

The  construction  of  the  twenty  thousandth  locomotive  and 
the  completion  of  seventy  years  of  continuous  operation  were 
celebrated  on  the  evening  of  February  27,  1902,  at  the  Union 
League,  of  Philadelphia,  by  a  banquet  at  which  two  hundred 
and  fifty  guests,  including  many  of  the  most  representative  men 
in  the  United  States,  were  present. 

In  May,  1902,  a  Decapod  locomotive  was  built  for  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway.  This  was  the  first 
tandem  compound  in  the  experience  of  the  Works  and  the 
heaviest  locomotive  built  up  to  that  time.  The  total  weight  of 
the  engine  alone  was  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  thousand 
eight  hundred  pounds,  of  which  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  were  on  the  five  pairs  of  driving 
wheels.  It  was  designed  for  heavy  freight  hauling  on  the  steep 
grades  encountered  on  one  section  of  this  road. 

The  first  locomotive  built  in  the  United  States  to  burn 
lignite  fuel  was  constructed  in  this  year  for  the  Bismarck, 
Washburn  and  Great  Falls  Railway.  The  Mikado  type  was 
selected  in  order  to  secure  sufficient  grate  area  and  firebox  volume. 
The  design  is  illustrated  on  page  95.  Mikado  type  locomotives 
were  subsequently  built  in  large  numbers  for  heavy  freight 
service  in  the  United  States. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN'    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


95 


MIKADO  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Bismarck,   Washburn  and  Great  Falls   Railway 

The  discovery  of  large  quantities  of  crude  petroleum  in 
gushers  located  in  the  Beaumont  oil  fields,  of  Texas,  caused 
the  railroads  tapping  this  field  to  adopt,  to  some  extent,  this  fuel 
on  their  locomotives.  Oil-burning  locomotives  were  built  for  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe,  the  Southern  Pacific,  and  the 
Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  Railroads,  in  1902.  Since 
that  date,  oil  has  practically  replaced  coal  as  a  locomotive  fuel 
in  the  Southwest.  Oil-burning  locomotives  have  also  been  in- 
troduced in  the  Pacific  Coast  District  and  the  far  Northwest. 

With  the  increased  use  of  electrically  driven  trains  for  inter- 
urban,  elevated  and  subway  traffic,  many  orders  were  received 
for  electric  motor  trucks  in  this  year.  Electrical  locomotives, 
both  for  surface  and  mine  haulage,  showed  a  marked  increase 
in  this  year  also,  both  in  variety  of  design  and  the  number  con- 
structed. 

In  the  year  1903  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  completed 
two  thousand  and  twenty-two  locomotives,  its  largest  annual 


TANDEM  COMPOUND   SANTA  FE  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Atchison,   Topeka   and   Santa   Fe   Railway 

output  up  to  that  time.     Among  these  were  four  four-cylinder 


96  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

balanced  compound  Atlantic  type  locomotives  for  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway,  which  proved  highly  successful. 
The  same  road  received  twenty-six  single-expansion  Pacific  type 
locomotives  for  heavy  passenger  service,  and  also  a  consignment 
of  tandem  compound  locomotives  for  freight  service.  These 
engines  were  similar  to  the  Decapod  locomotive  previously- 
described,  except  that  a  trailing  truck  was  added.  This  improved 
the  curving  qualities  of  the  engines  when  running  backward. 
To  this  type  the  name  Santa  Fe  was  given. 

During  the  year  1903,  standard  locomotive  designs  were 
prepared  at  these  Works  for  the  Associated  Lines,  which  at  that 
time  comprised  the  Southern  Pacific  Company,  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad,  Oregon  Railroad  and 
Navigation  Company,  and  the  Chicago  and  Alton  Railway. 
As  the  various  lines  were  already  equipped  with  sufficient  light 
power,  only  heavy  designs  for  common  standards  were  adopted. 
Six  such  designs  were  prepared:  an  Atlantic  and  a  Pacific  type 
locomotive  for  passenger  service,  two  sizes  of  Consolidation 
engines  for  freight  service,  a  Mogul  locomotive  for  fast  freight, 
and  a  six- wheeled  switcher. 

Owing  to  the  rapid  increase  in  the  production  of  the  Works, 
additional  erecting  facilities  were  required;  and  in  1903  a  new 
erecting  shop,  arranged  on  a  novel  plan,  was  completed  at 
Twenty-sixth  Street  and  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  This  shop  was 
built  in  the  form  of  a  round  house,  having  twenty-seven  stalls, 
with  an  eighty  foot  turntable  in  the  center.  It  was  used  prin- 
cipally for  finishing  and  testing  purposes. 

In  1904  there  was  a  temporary  falling  off  in  production,  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty-five  locomotives  being  com- 
pleted during  that  year.  At  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition, 
held  at  St.  Louis,  from  May  to  November  of  this  year,  the 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  exhibited  the  following  locomotives: 

STANDARD  GAUGE. — A  balanced  compound  Atlantic  type 
locomotive,  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway. 
(Illustrated  on  page  97).  A  four-cylinder  compound  Atlantic 
type  locomotive  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Rail- 
road. (This  engine  had  been  built  two  years  previously,  and 
was  withdrawn  from  service  to  be  placed  on  exhibition).  A 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  97 

tandem  compound  Santa  Fe  type  locomotive  for  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway.  An  Atlantic  type  locomotive 
for  the  Chicago  and  Alton  Railway.  A  Pacific  type  locomotive 


BALANCED   COMPOUND   ATLANTIC   TYPE   LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Atchison,   Topeka   and    Santa   Fe  Railway 

for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  A  Consolidation  type  locomotive 
for  the  Southern  Pacific  Company.  A  Pacific  type  locomotive 
for  the  St.  Louis  and  San  Francisco  Railroad.  A  two-cylinder 
compound  Consolidation  type  locomotive  for  the  Norfolk  and 
Western  Railway.  A  single-expansion  Consolidation  type  loco- 
motive for  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railway.  A  ten-wheeled 
locomotive  for  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railway.  An  Atlantic 
type  locomotive  for  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railway.  A 
Consolidation  type  locomotive  with  Wootten  firebox,  for  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad.  A  Mogul  type 
locomotive  for  the  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railway. 

There  were  also  shown  four  examples  of  electric  trucks, 
which  were  designed  for  standard  gauge  track. 

NARROW  GAUGE. — An  electric  mining  locomotive  for  the 
Norfolk  Coal  and  Coke  Company.  (Gauge  three  feet  six 
inches).  An  electric  mining  locomotive  for  the  Berwind-White 
Coal  Mining  Company.  (Gauge  three  feet).  An  electric  loco- 
motive for  industrial  haulage.  (Gauge  two  feet).  The  electric 
locomotives  and  trucks  were  exhibited  in  the  Palace  of  Electricity 
in  conjunction  with  the  Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  which  furnished  the  electrical  equipment. 

During  this  year  three  Mallet  compound  articulated  loco- 
motives, designed  for  meter  gauge,  were  built  for  the  American 
Railroad  of  Porto  Rico.  One  of  these  engines  is  illustrated 
on  page  98.  These  locomotives  had  three  pairs  of  driving 


98 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


wheels,  thirty-seven  inches  in  diameter,  in  each  group 
The  total  weight  was  one  hundred  and  six  thousand  six  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds,  and  the  tractive  force  twenty  thousand  two 


MALLET   ARTICULATED   COMPOUND   LOCOMOTIVE 
For   the    American    Railroad   of    Porto    Rico 

hundred  pounds  working  compound.    These  were  the  first  Mallet 
articulated  locomotives  built  in  the  experience  of  the  Works. 

Among  other  interesting  locomotives  exported  during  1904, 
may  be  mentioned  sixteen  tank  engines  for  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment Railways  of  Japan.  These  locomotives  had  three  pairs  of 
driving  wheels  and  a  two-wheeled  rear  truck.  They  were  con- 


Six  COUPLED  TANK  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Imperial  Government  Railways  of  Japan 

structed  with  plate  frames,  in  accordance  with  specifications 
furnished  by  the  railway  company.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
additional  locomotives  of  the  same  type  were  built  during  the 
following  year. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1904  the  output  began  to  in- 
crease, and  in  1905,  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  locomo- 
tives were  turned  out.  Among  these  were  five  hundred  and 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  99 

seventy- two  engines  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  System, 
including  the  lines  east  and  west  of  Pittsburg.  One  hundred 
and  sixty  of  these  locomotives,  all  of  the  Consolidation  type,  were 
completed  between  October  10th  and  November  22d.  This  year 
witnessed  the  introduction  of  the  Walschaerts  valve  motion  on 
several  American  railroads.  It  was  applied  to  a  large  number  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  engines  above  referred  to,  and  also  to 
thirty-eight  ten-wheeled  locomotives  for  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island 
and  Pacific  Railway. 

Among  the  locomotives  exported  during  the  year  1905,  may 
be  mentioned  twenty  of  the  ten-wheeled  type,  built  for  the  New 
South  Wales  Government  Railways.  These  engines  were  built 
to  the  railway  company's  drawings  and  specifications.  A  large 
number  of  special  features,  including  plate  frames  and  the  Allen 
valve  motion,  entered  into  their  construction. 

During  the  year  1906  a  number  of  large  electric  locomotives 
were  furnished  to  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Rail- 
road Company,  for  the  purpose  of  replacing  steam  locomotives  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York  City.  Each  of  these  locomotives  was 
mounted  on  two  four-wheeled  trucks,  and  equipped  with  four 
single  phase  alternating  current  motors,  which  rotated  the  axles 
without  intermediate  gearing.  The  nominal  capacity  of  each 
unit  was  one  thousand  horsepower. 

In  1906,  the  Great  Northern  Railway  received  five  Mallei 
articulated  locomotives,  which  were  the  heaviest,  at  that  time, 


MALLET  COMPOUND  ARTICULATED  LOCOMOTIVE 
For   the   Great   Northern    Railway 

in  the  experience  of  the  Works.  These  locomotives  were  carried 
on  six  pairs  of  driving  wheels  divided  into  two  groups,  and  a  two- 
wheeled  truck  front  and  back.  They  weighed  three  hundred  and 


100 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


fifty-five  thousand  pounds,  of  which  three  hundred  and  sixteen 
thousand  pounds  were  carried  on  the  driving  wheels.  One  of 
these  locomotives  is  illustrated  on  the  previous  page. 

During  this  year  an  order  was  also  received  for  fifty-seven 
balanced  compound  Prairie  type  locomotives  for  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway.  These  locomotives  were  de- 
signed for  fast  freight  service,  and  had  inside  high-pressure 


BALANCED  COMPOUND   PRAIRIE  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Atchison,   Topeka  and   Santa   Fe   Railway 

cylinders,  inclined  at  an  angle  of  seven  degrees,  in  order  that  their 
main  rods  could  clear  the  first  driving  axle.  The  total  weight 
in  working  order  was  two  hundred  and  forty-eight  thousand 
two  hundred  pounds,  of  which  the  driving  wheels  carry  one 
hundred  and  seventy-four  thousand  seven  hundred  pounds. 
One  of  them  is  illustrated  above.  Thirty-one  similar  locomotives 
were  built  in  1907. 

Among  the  important  foreign  orders  filled  during  the  year 
1906,  may  be  mentioned  one  from  the  Italian  Government  Rail- 


BALANCED  COMPOUND  TEN-WHEELED   LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Italian  Government  Railways 

ways  for  twenty  locomotives.    The  number  was  equally  divided 
between  balanced  compound  ten-wheeled  locomotives  for  pass- 


• 

HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN1    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  101 


enger  service,  and  single-expansion  Consolidation  locomotives 
for  freight  service.  One  of  the  passenger  locomotives  is  illus- 
trated on  the  previous  page. 

Owing  to  the  increasing  demand  for  electric  trucks,  a  new 
shop  equipped  with  the  most  approved  machinery  for  turning 
out  this  class  of  work,  was  built  early  in  1906.  This  shop  had 
a  capacity  of  one  hundred  trucks  per  week. 

During  the  same  year,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
four  acres  was  purchased  at  Eddystone,  Pa.,  about  twelve  miles 
from  the  city,  where  extensive  foundries  and  blacksmith  shops 
were  erected.  The  removal  of  these  shops  from  the  Philadelphia 
plant,  allowed  room  for  additional  machine  and  erecting  shops. 

A  life  size  bronze  statue  of  Matthias  W.  Baldwin  was 
unveiled  on  June  2,  1906,  and  presented  by  the  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works  to  the  Park  Commission  of  the  City  of  Philadel- 
phia. This  statue  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  front  of  the* 
main  office. 

On  December  31,  1906,  Mr.  George  Burnham,  Jr.,  who 
had  been  a  member  of  the  firm  since  1896,  retired  from  the 
partnership. 

On  January  29,  1907,  fire  partially  destroyed  the  shop 
building  located  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Spring 
Garden  Streets.  The  several  departments  affected  were  at  once 
moved  into  other  quarters,  and  work  was  continued  with  but 
little  delav. 


SANTA  FE  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the   Pittsburg,   Shawmut  and   Northern   Railroad 

In  February,  1907,  the  thirty-thousandth  locomotive  was 
completed.  This  engine  was  of  the  Santa  Fe  type,  having 
single-expansion  cylinders  and  a  smokebox  superheater.  It 


102  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

was  built  for  the  Pittsburg,  Shawmut  and  Northern  Railroad 
Company,  and  is  illustrated  on  the  previous  page. 

In  May  and  June,  1907,  twenty  balanced  compound  loco- 
motives of  the  ten-wheeled  type  were  completed  for  the  Paris- 
Orleans  Railway  of  France.  The  compound  features  were 
arranged  on  the  deGlehn  system,  and  the  engines  were  built 
throughout  to  drawings  and  specifications  furnished  by  the  rail- 
way company.  All  measurements  were  made  on  the  metric 
system,  this  being  the  first  instance  in  the  experience  of  the 
Works  where  metric  standards  were  used  exclusively  in  the  con- 


BALANCED  COMPOUND  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  tht  Paris-Orleans  Railway  of  France 

struction  of  a  locomotive.  An  illustration  of  one  of  these  engines 
is  presented  herewith. 

At  the  Jamestown  Ter-Centennial  Exposition,  held  at  Nor- 
folk, Va.,  in  1907,  the  Works  exhibited  five  steam  locomotives, 
three  Baldwin-Westinghouse  electric  locomotives,  and  three 
electric  trucks. 

During  this  same  year  (1907),  twenty  Consolidation  type 
locomotives  and  two  inspection  cars  were  built  for  the  South 
Manchurian  Railways.  All  these  locomotives  were  of  standard 
gauge. 

The  financial  depression,  which  began  during  the  fall  of  1907, 
resulted  in  a  greatly  decreased  demand  for  railway  supplies  of  all 
kinds,  and  the  year  1908  witnessed  the  completion  of  only  six 
hundred  and  seventeen  locomotives,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
seventy-four  were  exported.  Among  the  latter  may  be  mentioned 
a  Mallet  articulated  compound  locomotive  of  the  2-6-6-2  type, 
which  was  built  for  plantation  service  in  San  Domingo.  This 
locomotive  developed  a  tractive  force  of  ten  thousand  five  hun- 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  103 

dred  pounds,  which  was  remarkable  in  consideration  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  of  only  two  feet  six  inches  gauge,  and  was  suitable  for 
use  on  twenty-five  pound  rails. 

Mr.  William  P.  Henszey,  who  had  been  identified  with  the 
Works  since  March  7,  1859,  and  a  member  of  the  firm  since  1870, 
died  on  March  23,  1909.  Mr.  Henszey  had  had  an  unusually 


WILLIAM   P.    HENSZEY 

wide  experience  in  all  branches  of  locomotive  engineering,  and 
even  after  his  retirement  as  Chief  Mechanical  Engineer,  he  spent 
much  time  in  the  draughting  room  at  the  Works,  and  his  advice 
was  constantly  sought.  He  was  largely  responsible  for  the 
standardization  of  locomotive  details  and  for  the  perfecting  of 
a  system  of  manufacture,  whereby  like  parts  of  engines  of  the 
same  class  were  made  interchangeable.  Many  successful  loco- 
motives of  unusual  types,  which  were  built  to  meet  difficult 
service  requirements,  were  the  direct  result  of  his  ingenuity  and 
skill  as  a  designer. 

At   the  Alaska-Yukon-Pacific  Exposition   held  at  Seattle, 
Washington,  in  1909,  two  locomotives  were  exhibited:   a  Mallet 


104  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

articulated  compound  for  the  Great  Northern  Railway,  and  a 
balanced  compound  Atlantic  type  for  the  Spokane,  Portland 
and  Seattle  Railway. 

During  this  year,  an  important  change  in  organization  was 
effected.  On  July  1,  1909,  the  partnership  of  Burnham,  Williams 
&  Co.  was  dissolved,  and  a  stock  company  under  the  name  of 


JOHN   H.  CONVERSE 

Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of 

the  State  of  Pennsylvania  with  the  following  officers: 
John  H.  Converse,  President 
Alba  B.  Johnson,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer 
William  L.  Austin,  Vice-President  and  Engineer 
Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  General  Superintendent 
William  deKrafft,  Secretary  and  Assistant  Treasurer 
The  above  officers  constituted  the  Board  of  Directors. 
The  great  growth  of  the  business  and  its  need  for  a  larger 

working  capital,  led  to  the  issue  on  April  1,  1910,  of  ten  million 

dollars  first  mortgage  five  per  cent,  bonds. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  105 

John  H.  Converse,  who  had  been  connected  with  the  Works 
since  1870  and  a  partner  since  1873,  died  at  his  home  in  Philadel- 
phia on  May  3,  1910.  Throughout  the  forty  years  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  Works,  whilst  Mr.  Converse  was  occupied  pri- 
marily with  the  general  financial  and  commercial  administration 
of  the  business,  he  was  also  deeply  interested  in  every  improve- 
ment in  locomotive  engineering.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
civic,  philanthropic  and  religious  interests.  He  was  succeeded 
as  President  of  the  Company  by  William  L.  Austin. 

On  July  1,  1911,  the  entire  property  owned  by  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  was  sold  to  a  new  corporation  known  as  the 
Philadelphia  Locomotive  Works.  This  was  immediately  re- 
organized as  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works.  This  is  a  public 
joint  stock  company,  organized  under  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  capitalized  subject  to  the  mortgage  bonds  above  mentioned 
at  840,000,000  ($20,000,000  cumulative  preferred  stock  and 
820,000,000  common  stock).  The  stock  is  listed  on  the  Phila- 
delphia and  New  York  Exchanges. 

The  first  Board  of  Directors  of  the  new  company  was  com- 
posed as  follows: 

William  L.  Austin,  Chairman;  Roland  L.  Taylor,  Alba  B. 
Johnson,  Samuel  MacRoberts,  Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  Charles  D. 
Norton,  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Otis  H.  Cutler,  Edmund  C.  Con- 
verse, Francis  M.  Weld,  T.  deWitt  Cuyler,  William  Burnham. 

The  officers  of  the  new  company  were  as  follows: 
William  L.  Austin,  Chairman  of  the  Board 
Alba  B.  Johnson,  President 
Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  Vice  President 
William  deKrafft,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 

In  1910,  the  first  Baldwin  internal  combustion  locomotives, 
built  in  accordance  with  patents  granted  to  A.  H.  Ehle,  were 
constructed ;  and  thereafter  these  machines  assumed  a  permanent 
place  among  the  products  of  the  Works.  These  locomotives  are 
distinctive,  principally  in  that  they  employ  no  chains  whatever; 
the  final  drive  being  through  specially  designed  side-rods.  This 
allows  freedom  of  the  driving-wheels  and  spring  suspension  of 
all  the  principal  parts,  including  the  motor,  frames  and  trans- 
mission. There  are  no  sliding  gears  in  the -transmission,  the 


106  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

different  gear  ratios  being  obtained  by  the  engagement  of  positive 
jaw  clutches;  while  the  gears  remain  constantly  in  mesh.  These 
locomotives  are  specially  suitable  for  industrial,  contractors' 
and  light  switching  service.  They  were  first  built  in  four  standard 
sizes,  weighing  respectively  three  and  one-half,  five,  seven  and 
nine  tons.  Subsequently  a  larger  size,  weighing  twenty-three 
tons,  and  suitable  for  standard  gauge  only,  was  added.  In  1919, 
the  designs  were  revised  to  include  five  sizes,  weighing  from  five 
to  twenty-five  tons. 

An  illustration  of  a  Baldwin  internal  combustion  locomotive 
is  presented  on  page  120. 

In  1911,  the  Board  of  Directors  authorized  the  purchase  of  a 
tract  of  three  hundred  and  seventy  acres  at  East  Chicago,  Indiana. 
Plans  were  subsequently  developed  for  the  construction  of  works 
for  the  manufacture  of  tires  and  wheels,  as  part  of  the  business 
of  the  Standard  Steel  Works  Co.,  and  for  the  building  of  locomo- 
tives, as  part  of  the  business  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 
Up  to  1919,  however,  these  shops  had  not  been  constructed. 

The  subject  of  superheating  was  receiving  much  attention 
at  this  time,  and  a  large  number  of  superheaters  were  applied 
to  locomotives  built  during  1911  and  1912.  In  the  majority 


BALANCED  COMPOUND   PACIFIC  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway 

of  cases  superheaters  of  the  fire-tube  type  were  used,  in  accordance 
with  patents  controlled  by  the  Locomotive  Superheater  Co. 
The  Vauclain  type  of  smokebox  superheater,  originally  designed 
in  1905,  was  also  used  to  some  extent,  but  service  tests  firmly 
established  the  economies  due  to  high  superheat,  and  the  use  of 
the  fire-tube  superheater,  on  large  locomotives,  is  now  practically 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  107 

universal.  Superheaters  in  conjunction  with  compound  cylinders 
are  employed  on  Mallet  locomotives;  and  they  have  also  been 
used,  to  a  limited  extent,  on  balanced  compound  locomotives 
built  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Ry.  An  illustration  of  a 
Pacific  type  locomotive,  so  equipped,  is  shown  on  the  previous  page. 

The  successful  introduction  of  the  superheater  in  American 
locomotive  practice,  was  followed  by  the  construction  of  locomo- 
tives for  all  classes  of  service,  of  materially  greater  capacity 
than  those  previously  built.  This  increase  in  capacity  was  ac- 
companied by  the  extensive  use  of  such  labor-saving  devices  as 
mechanical  stokers,  coal  pushers  on  tenders,  and  power  operated 
fire-doors  and  grate  shakers.  In  fact,  without  the  use  of  these 
devices  it  would  be  difficult  to  operate,  at  full  capacity,  the 
largest  locomotives  now  in  service. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  a  design  of  heavy  freight 
locomotive  known  as  the  Mikado,  which  has  four  pairs  of  coupled 
driving-wheels  with  a  two-wheeled  leading  and  two-wheeled 
trailing  truck.  Since  1909,  this  type  has  come  into  extensive 
use  on  American  railroads,  and,  because  of  its  increased  steaming 
capacity,  has  largely  replaced  the  Consolidation  type  for  main- 


SANTA  FE  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad 

line  service.  A  development  of  the  Mikado  type  is  found  in  the 
Santa  Fe,  with  five  pairs  of  coupled  driving-wheels.  Locomotives 
of  the  Santa  Fe  type,  as  has  been  mentioned,  were  built  for  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Ry.  in  1903;  but  it  was  about 
ten  years  later  before  this  type  began  to  be  used,  to  any  consider- 
able extent,  on  other  roads.  In  the  spring  of  1912,  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  R.  R.  placed  in  service  five  locomotives  of 


108  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

the  Santa  Fe  type,  one  of  which  is  illustrated  on  page  107.  These 
locomotives  had  cylinders  thirty  inches  in  diameter  by  thirty- 
two  inches  stroke,  and  driving-wheels  sixty  inches  in  diameter. 
They  weighed,  in  working  order,  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
thousand  seven  hundred  pounds,  of  which  three  hundred  and  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  were  carried  on  the  driving- 
wheels.  These  locomotives  were  followed  by  a  large  number  of 
others  of  similar  type,  which  were  built  not  only  for  the  Bur- 
lington System,  but  also  for  various  other  roads  throughout 
the  country. 

In  1910,  a  Mikado  type  locomotive,  designed  to  burn  lignite 
fuel,  was  built  for  the  Oregon  Railroad  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany. This  locomotive  was  constructed  in  accordance  with 
specifications  prepared  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Graham,  Superintendent  of 
Motive  Power,  and  the  design  was  based  on  that  of  the  standard 
Consolidation  type  locomotives  for  the  Associated  Lines.  The 
new  Mikado  had  cylinders  twenty-three  and  three-quarters 
inches  in  diameter  by  thirty  inches  stroke,  and  driving-wheels 
fifty-seven  inches  in  diameter;  and  it  weighed  in  working  order, 
exclusive  of  tender,  two-hundred  and  sixty-three  thousand 
pounds.  This  locomotive  proved  highly  successful,  and  the 
Mikado  type  locomotives  subsequently  built  for  the  Union  and 
Southern  Pacific  Systems  and  their  associated  lines,  were  directly 
based  upon  it. 


LIGNITE-BURNING  MIKADO  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Oregon   Railroad   and   Navigation   Co. 

A  large  number  of  Mallet  locomotives  were  built  during 
this  period,  for  pushing  and  heavy  road  service  on  steep  grades. 
Among  the  most  interesting  of  these  were  two  groups  of  locomo- 
tives, one  of  the  2-8-8-2  type  and  the  other  of  the  2-6-6-2  type, 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


109 


constructed  for  the  Southern  Pacific  Co.  and  used  in  freight  and 
passenger  service  respectively.  In  order  to  give  the  engine- 
men  a  better  view  when  running  through  tunnels  and  snow-sheds, 
these  locomotives  were  operated  with  the  cab  end  leading,  the 


MALLET  ARTICULATED  FREIGHT  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the   Southern  Pacific  Co. 

tender  being  coupled  to  the  smoke-box  end.  As  oil  was  used 
for  fuel,  this  arrangement  was  entirely  practicable.  An  illus- 
tration of  one  of  the  freight  locomotives  is  presented  herewith. 
In  the  years  1910  and  1911,  six  locomotives  of  the  2-6-6-2 
type,  which  were  included  in  a  large  number  built  for  the  Atchi- 
son,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Ry.,  were  fitted  with  articulated  boilers. 
The  front  boiler  section,  instead  of  being  supported  on  sliding 
bearings,  was  rigidly  mounted  on  the  frames,  and  was  attached 


ARTICULATED   LOCOMOTIVE  WITH    FLEXIBLE  BOILER 
For  the   Atchison,   Topeka  and   Santa   Fe   Railway 

to  the  rear  boUer  section  by  a  flexible  connection.  The  illustra- 
tion shows  one  of  these  locomotives,  in  which  the  flexible  con- 
nection consisted  of  a  series  of  rings,  fastened  together  to  form 
a  bellows-shaped  structure.  This  arrangement  was  built  in 
accordance  with  patents  granted  to  Samuel  M.  Vauclain. 


110 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


An  interesting  group  of  eighteen  Mallet  locomotives  was 
completed  in  1912  for  the  Imperial  Government  Rys.  of  Japan. 
These  locomotives  were  of  the  0-6-6-0  type,  and  had  a  gauge  of 
three  feet  six  inches.  They  were  equipped  with  superheaters, 


MALLET  ARTICULATED   LOCOMOTIVE 
For   the   Imperial   Government   Railways   of  Japan 

and  weighed,  exclusive  of  tenders,  one  hundred  and  forty-two 
thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  each.  The  accompany- 
ing illustration  shows  the  design. 

Locomotive  number  forty  thousand  was  completed  in  June, 
1913.  It  was  of  the  Pacific  (4-6-2)  type,  and  was  built  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Lines  West  of  Pittsburgh,  to  drawings  and  speci- 
fications furnished  by  the  Railway  Company.  Since  1903, 
Pacific  type  locomotives  have  been  built  to  a  constantly  in- 
creasing extent,  for  heavy  passenger  service;  and  locomotive 


PACIFIC   TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Pennsylvania  Lines.     Baldwin  Locomotive  No.  40,000 

number  forty  thousand  was,  at  the  time  of  its  construction, 
among  the  largest  in  service.  This  locomotive  had  cylinders 
measuring  twenty-six  by  twenty-six  inches,  and  driving  wheels 
eighty  inches  in  diameter;  and  it  weighed,  in  working  order, 
three  hundred  and  two  thousand  pounds.  It  was  equipped  with 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  111 

a  superheater  and  was  fired  by  a  mechanical  stoker  of  the 
Crawford  under-feed  type.  An  illustration  of  the  locomotive  is 
presented  on  page  110. 

In  September,  1913,  the  Erie  Railroad  ordered  a  locomotive 
of  the  triple  articulated  type,  which  was  designed  and  built 
in  accordance  with  patents  granted  to  George  R.  Henderson,  who 
at  that  time  was  Consulting  Engineer  of  The  Baldwin  Locomo- 
tive Works.  This  locomotive  has  the  2-8-8-8-2  wheel  arrange- 
ment, and  is  practically  a  Mallet,  with  a  steam  driven  tender.  In 
this  way,  a  tractive  force  equal  to  that  of  three  Consolidation 
or  Mikado  type  locomotives  can  be  developed  in  a  single  unit. 
The  triple  locomotive  has  six  cylinders,  all  of  which  are  of  the 
same  size  and  cast  from  the  same  pattern.  The  two  cylinders 
which  drive  the  middle  group  of  wheels  receive  superheated 
steam  direct  from  the  boiler  and  thus  act  as  the  high  pressure 
cylinders;  and  they  exhaust  into  the  front  and  rear  cylinders, 
which  act  as  the  low  pressure.  The  exhaust  from  the  front 
cylinders  is  discharged  up  the  stack  to  create  a  draught  for 
the  fire,  while  that  from  the  rear  cylinders,  after  passing  through 
a  feed-water  heater,  escapes  up  a  pipe  at  the  rear  of  the  tank. 
Pumps  are  used  to  force  the  heated  feed-water  into  the  boiler. 

The  first  locomotive  of  this  type  was  completed  in  April, 
1914,  and  was  placed  in  pushing  service  on  a  heavy  grade  near 
Susquehanna,  Penna.  It  was  named  "Matt  H.  Shay,"  after  the 


TRIPLE  ARTICULATED   LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Erie  R.  R. 

oldest  living  engineer  then  in  the  service  of  the  Erie.  The 
cylinders  of  this  locomotive  are  thirty-six  inches  in  diameter  by 
thirty-two  inches  stroke,  and  the  driving-wheels  are  sixty-three 
inches  in  diameter.  The  total  weight  of  the  locomotive  in  working 
order  is  eight  hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  pounds,  and 


112 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


the  maximum  tractive  force  exerted  is  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  pounds.  On  a  test  run  to  determine  its  hauling  capacity 
on  practically  level  track,  the  "Matt  H.  Shay"  has  hauled  a  train 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  loaded  cars  having  a  length  of  one  and 
six-tenths  miles  and  weighing  seventeen  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  twelve  tons.  This  load  was  hauled  up  a  maximum  grade  of 
0.09  per  cent.,  combined  with  a  curve  of  five  degrees. 

After  this  locomotive  had  been  fully  tried  out,  two  more 
of  similar  dimensions  were  built  for  the  Erie  R.  R.  and  completed 
in  1916.  Another  of  the  same  general  type  was  built  for  the 
Virginian  Railway. 

While  these  developments  were  taking  place  in  the  field 
of  steam  locomotive  engineering,  Baldwin-Westinghouse  electric 
locomotives  were  becoming  increasingly  prominent  in  the  prod- 
uct of  the  Works.  Among  these  locomotives  may  be  men- 
tioned five,  which  were  built  in  1910  for  service  in  the  Hoosac 
Tunnel,  Mass.,  on  the  line  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  R.  R.  This 
tunnel  is  four  and  three-quarters  miles  long,  and  its  operation 
with  steam  locomotives  had  become  difficult  because  of  the  ac- 
cumulation of  smoke  and  gas,  which  made  it  impossible  to 
fully  utilize  the  track  capacity  of  the  tunnel.  The  results 


ELECTRIC  LOCOMOTIVES 
For  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  113 

obtained  with  electric  traction  have  been  most  satisfactory, 
and  the  capacity  of  the  tunnel  has  been  greatly  increased. 

Up  to  the  close  of  1912,  one  hundred  Baldwin-Westinghouse 
single-phase  locomotives  had  been  built  for  the  New  York,  New 
Haven  &  Hartford  R.  R.  for  service  on  the  electrified  section 
of  the  line  between  New  York  and  Stamford,  Conn.  The  electri- 
fication was  subsequently  extended  to  New  Haven.  The  electric 
locomotives  built  for  this  road  are  of  various  types,  and  are  used 
in  passenger,  freight  and  switching  service.  The  illustration 
on  page  112  represents  ten  large  New  Haven  electric  locomo- 
tives of  the  articulated  type,  ready  for  shipment  from  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  to  Pittsburgh,  to  receive  their 
electrical  equipment  at  the  Westinghouse  plant. 

Another  interesting  group  of  electric  locomotives  were 
those  built  for  the  Norfolk  &  Western  Ry.  for  service  between 
Bluefield  and  East  Vivian,  West  Virginia,  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles.  This  line  handles  a  heavy  coal  traffic,  and  its  capacity, 
under  steam  operation,  was  limited  by  the  number  of  trains 
which  could  be  moved  through  Elkhorn  Tunnel,  where  the  line 
is  single  tracked.  The  tunnel  has  a  length  of  thirty-one  hundred 
feet,  and  is  approached  from  the  West  by  a  two  per  cent,  grade, 
and  from  the  East  by  a  grade  of  two  and  thirty-six-hundredths 
per  cent.  When  the  road  was  electrified,  twenty  steam  locomo- 
tives of  the  Mallet  type  were  replaced  by  twelve  electric  locomo- 
tives, and  the  capacity  of  the  line  was  greatly  increased  because 
of  the  higher  speed  at  which  the  trains  could  be  handled.  Each 
electric  locomotive  consists  of  two  units  having  a  combined 
weight  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  tons,  each  unit  being  of  the 
2-4-4-2  type.  Two  of  these  locomotives  handle  a  train  weighing 
thirty-two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  through  the  tunnel  in  three 
minutes;  while  with  steam  operation,  on  account  of  slow  speeds 
and  frequent  stalling,  it  was  necessary  to  allow  twenty  minutes 
for  three  Mallet  locomotives  to  take  a  train  through  the  tunnel. 

The  development  of  electric  mine  and  industrial  locomo- 
tives, during  this  period,  was  characterized  by  refinement  in 
general  design  and  detailed  construction.  These  Works  were 
pioneers  in  developing  and  standardizing  plate  steel  and  cast 
steel  bar  frames  for  mine  locomotives.  The  accompanying 


114 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


ELECTRIC  MINING  LOCOMOTIVE 
With  Cast  Steel  Bar  Frames 


illustration  shows  one 
of  these  locomotives, 
equipped  with  a  cast 
steel  frame  of  the 
bar  type.  Greater 
strength  and  accessi- 
bility were  secured 
with  this  construc- 
tion, and  also,  in 
many  cases,  lighter 
mechanical  parts, 

thus  allowing  the  use  of  heavier  and  more  powerful  electrical 
equipment  for  a  given  total  weight  of  locomotive. 

During  the  past  few  years  a  large  number  of  storage  battery- 
locomotives  have  been  built  for  mine  and  industrial  service. 
The  Edison  storage  battery,  because  of  its  light  weight  and  dur- 
ability, has  proved  particularly  well  suited  for  this  kind  of  work. 

The  completion  at  Eddystone,  in  1912,  of  a  large  erecting 
shop,  provided  additional  erecting  facilities  much  needed  to 
relieve  congestion  at  the  Philadelphia  plant.  This  shop  was 
specially  designed  for  the  construction  of  locomotives  of  the 
largest  size;  it  covers  over  seven  and  one-half  acres  of  ground, 


EDDVSTOXE  ERECTING  SHOP 


HTSTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  115 

and  has  over-all  dimensions  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  by  eight 
hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The  building  has  a  steel  frame-work, 
with  concrete  foundations  and  side  walls  of  hollow  tile.  The 
roof  is  laid  with  reinforced  cement  tile  and  the  floor  is  of  wooden 
blocks  laid  on  concrete.  An  illustration  of  this  shop  is  presented 
on  the  preceding  page. 

George  Burnham,  Sr.,  who  entered  the  Works  in  1836,  died 
at  his  home  in  West  Philadelphia  on  December  10,  1912,  in  the 
ninety-sixth  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Burnham  had  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  since  1867. 

Since  the  financial  panic  of  1907,  the  volume  of  business 
handled  by  the  Works  had  been  exceedingly  fluctuating;  and 
when  the  European  war  broke  out  in  August,  1914,  the  Baldwin 
Plants  were  operating  at  only  about  one-third  of  their  full 
capacity.  The  significance  of  the  conflict  was  at  once  perceived 
by  the  officials  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  and  the 
manufacturing  facilities  of  the  Company  were  promptly  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Allied  Governments. 

The  pressing  needs  for  ordnance,  ammunition  and  other 
supplies  by  France  and  Great  Britain,  were  such  that  all  efforts 
in  these  early  days  of  the  war  were  directed  towards  the  develop- 
ment of  armament  and  munitions.  In  Russia,  however,  greater 
distances  and  a  desperate  shortage  of  motive  power  and  equip- 
ment necessitated  the  purchase  of  locomotives.  Mr.  S.  M. 
Vauclain,  then  Vice-President  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works,  visited  Russia  in  the  fall  of  1914  and  also  early  in  1915, 
and  was  instrumental  in  securing  a  large  part  of  this  business. 
The  first  order  thus  obtained  called  for  thirty  Mallet  locomotives 
of  the  0-6-6-0  type,  for  the  Vologda-Archangel  Railway.  These 


MALLET  ARTICULATED  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Vologda-Archangel   Railway,    Russia 


116 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


locomotives  were  of  three  feet,  six  inches  gauge,  and  they  were 
successfully  and  rapidly  completed  and  shipped.  One  of  them 
is  illustrated  on  page  115.  This  order  was  followed  by  others, 
placed  later  by  the  Russian  Government,  and  covering  large 


DECAPOD  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Russian  Government 

numbers  of  heavy  Decapod  locomotives  of  five  feet  gauge, 
gasoline  locomotives  of  seventy-five  centimetres  (2'  51")  gauge, 
gasoline  trucks  and  gasoline  tractors.  The  locomotives  are 
illustrated  on  this  page.  One  hundred  of  the  Decapod  loco- 
motives, which  could  not  be  delivered  in  Russia  because  of  the 
Bolshevik  revolution,  were  subsequently  purchased  by  the  United 
States  Government  and  so  modified  that  they  could  be  used 
temporarily  on  the  railroads  of  the  United  States. 

The  gasoline  locomotives  were  intended  for  trench  service,  a 
class  of  work  for  which  they  are  well  fitted,  since  as  they  emit  no 
smoke  they  are  comparatively  inconspicuous. 


GASOLINE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Russian  Government 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  117 

The  French  Government,  late  in  the  summer  of  1914,  sent  a 
mission  to  the  United  States  to  make  certain  purchases.  Early 
in  November,  1914,  the  mission  received  cable  instructions  from 
France  to  purchase  twenty  tank  locomotives  of  a  gauge  of  sixty 
centimetres  (!'  Us"),  which  were  to  be  built  to  American 
designs  and  shipped  as  promptly  as  possible.  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  took  this  order  on  November  3rd,  and  the 
twenty  locomotives,  boxed  and  ready  for  shipment  overseas,  left 
the  Works  on  November  21st.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a 
series  of  orders  from  the  French  Government  which  included  both 
steam  and  gasoline  locomotives  totalling  over  one  thousand  in 
number.  Among  these  were  two-hundred  and  eighty  locomotives 
of  the  Pechot  type,  designed  for  service  on  the  narrow  (sixty 
centimetres)  gauge  lines  in  the  advanced  areas.  These  locomo- 
tives were  built  throughout  to  the  metric  system  of  measurement, 
in  accordance  with  designs  furnished  by  the  French  Government. 
They  are  carried  on  two  steam  driven  trucks  or  bogies,  thus 
providing  unusual  flexibility  and  excellent  tracking  and  riding 
qualities.  The  boiler  has  two  fireboxes,  placed  in  the  middle 
between  the  bogies;  and  there  is  a  separate  boiler  barrel,  smoke- 
box  and  stack  at  each  end  of  the  locomotive.  The  total  weight 
in  working  order,  with  water- tanks  and  coal-boxes  filled,  is 
twenty-eight  thousand  one-hundred  pounds.  These  locomotives 
were  built  during  the  years  1915  and  1916.  The  accompanying 
illustration  represents  the  design. 

The  locomotives  built  for  the  British  Government,  for  service 
similar  to  that  performed  by  the  Pechot  locomotives,  were  of  the 


PECHOT  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the   French   Government 


118  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

ten-wheeled  (4-6-0)  type  with  side  tanks.  A  total  of  four- 
hundred  and  ninety-five  of  these  were  built  during  the  latter 
part  of  1916  and  the  Spring  of  1917.  The  design  generally 
followed  American  practice,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying 
illustration;  and  the  locomotives  weighed,  in  working  order, 
thirty-two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  each. 

The  British  Government  also  received  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  standard  gauge  locomotives  of  various  types.  Conspicuous 
among  these  were  one  hundred  and  fifty  locomotives  of  the 
Consolidation  (2-8-0)  type,  which  were  built  in  1917.  These 
locomotives  had  cylinders  twenty-one  inches  in  diameter  by 


TEN-WHEELED   LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the   British   Government 

twenty-eight  inches  stroke,  and  the  weight  in  working  order  was 
one  hundred  and  sixty-two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds. 

The  remainder  of  the  standard  gauge  locomotives  built  for  the 
British  Government  were  of  the  0-4-0,  0-6-0,  2-6-2  and  4-6-0 
types.  The  last  named  had  separate  tenders,  while  the  others 
were  tank  engines. 

In  addition  to  the  locomotives  built  for  strictly  military  pur- 
poses, large  orders  for  Mikado  (2-8-2)  type  freight  locomotives 
were  also  received,  during  the  war  period,  from  two  prominent 
French  railways — the  Paris,  Lyons  and  Mediterranean,  and  the 
Nord.  These  locomotives  were  built  throughout  to  the  metric 
system,  in  accordance  with  specifications  furnished  by  the  pur- 
chasing companies.  They  use  superheated  steam  and  are  of  the 
balanced  compound  type,  with  inside  high-pressure  cylinders 
driving  the  second  pair  of  coupled  wheels  and  outside  low- 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  119 


pressure  cylinders  driving  the  third  pair.  The  total  weight  of 
one  of  these  locomotives,  exclusive  of  tender,  is  two  hundred  and 
two  thousand  pounds,  of  which  the  driving-wheels  carry  one 
hundred  and  forty-nine  thousand  four  hundred  pounds. 

The  construction  of  all  of  these  locomotives  for  military  service 
abroad,  together  with  those  ordered  by  domestic  railways,  soon 
placed  the  Works  on  a  full  capacity  basis.  Moreover,  during  this 
period  orders  were  received  from  the  British  and  French  Govern- 
ments for  the  machining  of  a  large  number  of  shells,  varying  in 
calibre  from  four  and  seven-tenths  inches  to  twelve  inches.  These 
shells  were  manufactured  in  such  of  the  locomotive  shops  as  were 
available  for  the  purpose,  and  also  in  new  shops,  specially  built 
and  equipped  for  this  kind  of  work.  The  principal  additions 
made  to  the  Philadelphia  plant  were  a  four-story  extension  of  the 
truck  shop,  measuring  ninety  by  ninety-seven  feet,  and  an  eight- 
story  building  of  re-enforced  concrete,  measuring  ninety-eight 
feet  six  inches,  by  three  hundred  and  ninety-six  feet.  A  group  of 
large  shops  one  story  in  height,  was  also  built  at  the  Eddystone 
plant  and  utilized  for  the  completion  of  the  shell  order  from  the 
French  Government. 

With  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  war,  in  April, 
1917,  all  industries  manufacturing  war  supplies  of  any  kind 
received  a  great  stimulus.  The  presence  of  the  American  Army 
in  France  required  the  immediate  construction  of  a  great  amount 
of  motive  power  and  rolling  stock;  and  to  meet  the  demand  for 
locomotives,  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  were  entrusted 
with  what  were  probably  the  largest  and  most  urgent  orders  ever 
placed  in  the  history  of  locomotive  building.  The  first  of  these 
orders  was  placed  on  July  17,  1917,  and  called  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  locomotives  of  the  Consolidation  (2-8-0)  type.  These 
locomotives,  in  general  design,  were  similar  to  the  Consolidation 
engines  built  for  the  British  Government,  the  principal  difference 
being  that  they  were  equipped  with  superheaters,  whereas  the 
British  locomotives  used  saturated  steam.  The  first  of  the 
locomotives  for  the  United  States  Government  was  completed  on 
August  10th,  less  than  a  month  after  the  receipt  of  the  order,  and 
the  last  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty,  on  October  1st.  These 
"Pershing  Engines,"  as  they  became  known,  were  subsequently 


120  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


CONSOLIDATION  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For   the   United   States   Government.      The   first   "Pershing   Locomotive"   built 

ordered  in  large  numbers;  and  when  hostilities  closed  they  were 
being  shipped  from  the  Works  at  the  rate  of  three  hundred  per 
month. 

Additional  erecting  capacity  was  required  in  order  to  handle 
all  this  work,  and  a  second  erecting  shop,  generally  similar  to 
that  constructed  in  1912,  was  built  at  Eddystone  during  the 
winter  of  1917-1918. 

Through  the  initiative  of  Mr.  S.  M.  Felton,  Director  of 
Military  Railways,  and  his  mechanical  aide,  Colonel  Milliken, 
an  interesting  method  was  developed  of  shipping  the  Pershing 
locomotives  to  France,  erected  complete  with  the  exception  of 
the  headlight,  smokestack  and  cab.  The  locomotives  and 
tenders  were  placed  in  the  holds  of  the  vessels  on  their  own 
wheels,  and  after  unloading  them  at  St.  Nazaire,  France,  com- 
paratively little  work  was  required  before  they  were  ready  for 
service.  Much  time  and  trouble  were  saved  in  this  way. 

In  addition  to  the  Pershing  locomotives,  narrow  gauge  steam 
locomotives  of  the  2-6-2  type,  and  gasoline  locomotives  of  the 


GASOLINE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For   the  United   States   Government 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  121 

five,  seven  and  one-half  and  twenty-five  ton  sizes,  were  also  built 
for  the  United  States  Government.  One  of  the  gasoline  loco- 
motives, weighing  seven  and  one-half  tons,  is  illustrated  on  page 
120. 

On  September  6,  1917,  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain  was  appointed 
Senior  Vice-President  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Mr. 
Grafton  Greenough  Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Sales,  and  Mr. 
John  P.  Sykes  Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Manufacture. 

Mr.  Vauclain,  as  has  been  mentioned  in  these  pages,  had  been 
connected  with  the  Works  since  1883.  The  great  increase  in  the 
size  and  capacity  of  the  plant  which  occurred  during  his  term  of 
service  was  due,  to  a  large  extent,  to  his  untiring  energy  and  to 
his  exceptional  ability  as  an  organizer  and  executive.  He  also 
took  an  active  interest  in  the  development  of  the  locomotive,  and 
became  recognized  the  world  over  as  a  locomotive  expert  and 
designer.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  production  record  made  by  the 
Works  during  the  period  of  the  war  would  not  have  been  attained 
had  it  not  been  for  his  courage,  energy  and  ability. 

Mr.  Greenough  entered  the  service  of  the  Company  on  Decem- 
ber 28,  1885,  as  an  employee  of  the  Engineering  Department. 
In  August,  1899,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Operating  Depart- 
ment in  the  capacity  of  Assistant  Superintendent.  At  the  time 
of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in  1904  he  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  St.  Louis  Office,  later  assuming  charge  of  the  sales 
organization  in  Philadelphia  as  General  Sales  Manager. 

Mr.  Sykes  was  apprenticed  to  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works, 
entering  service  in  1879.  He  served  in  the  capacities  of  Con- 
tractor, Assistant  Foreman  and  General  Foreman  until  1905 
when  he  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  (then  new) 
Eddystone  Shops.  In  1907  he  left  the  parent  company  to  become 
General  Superintendent  of  the  Standard  Steel  Works  Company 
at  Burnham,  Pa.,  later  returning  to  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  as  Assistant  General  Superintendent.  In  July,  1911,  he 
was  appointed  General  Superintendent,  which  position  he  held 
until  his  selection  as  Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Manufacture. 

One  of  the  most  notable  achievements  of  The  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works  during  the  war,  was  the  building  of  a  group  of 
railway  gun  mounts  for  the  United  States  Navy.  These  mounts 


122  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

carried  fourteen-inch  naval  guns,  which  were  available  for  shore 
service;  and  the  original  idea  was  to  use  them  against  a  number 
of  long-range  German  guns  which  were  mounted  near  Ostend  and 
firing  into  Dunkirk.  The  designs  for  the  mounts  were  prepared 
at  the  Naval  Gun  Factory,  Washington,  under  the  direction  of 
Captain  A.  L.  Willard,  Superintendent;  Commander  Harvey 
Delano,  U.  S.  N.,  and  George  A.  Chadwick,  Chief  Draftsman. 
When  the  designs  were  submitted  to  the  bidders  on  January  25, 
1918,  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain,  who  was  then  Chairman  of  the  Muni- 
tions Committee  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  agreed  that  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  would  build  the  mounts,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  American  Bridge  Company,  in  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  days.  Five  mounts  were 
thereupon  ordered;  the  first  one,  scheduled  for  delivery  on  May 
15,  1918,  was  completed  on  April  25,  while  the  last,  which  was 
scheduled  for  June  15,  was  completed  May  25.  Considering  the 
fact  that  the  design  was  new  throughout,  that  there  was  a 
shortage  of  labor,  and  that  many  serious  obstacles  had  to  be 
overcome,  this  was  an  exceptionally  creditable  piece  of  work. 


FOURTEEN-INCH   RAILWAY  GUN  MOUNT 

Each  of  these  mounts  is  carried  on  twenty-four  wheels, 
grouped  in  four  trucks  of  six  wheels  each.  The  maximum  firing 
elevation  of  the  guns  is  forty-three  degrees;  but  when  firing  at 
angles  of  fifteen  degrees  and  upward,  a  structural  steel  foundation, 
surrounding  a  pit,  is  necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  absorbing  a 
portion  of  the  shock  and  providing  room  for  the  recoil  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  123 

gun.  These  foundations  were  also  supplied  by  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works. 

By  the  time  the  mounts  were  completed,  conditions  in  Europe 
had  changed  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  impossible  to  send 
them  to  the  Belgian  Coast  as  first  intended;  hence  they  were 
shipped  to  the  West  Front,  and  were  in  service  several  weeks 
prior  to  the  signing  of  the  armistice.  In  all,  the  five  batteries 
were  fired  seven  hundred  and  eighty-two  times  on  twenty-five 
different  days,  at  ranges  which  averaged  from  thirty  thousand  to 
forty  thousand  yards;  and  while  it  was  not  possible,  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  to  make  observations,  it  is  known  that  severe 
damage  was  done. 

These  first  five  mounts  were  followed  by  six  others,  of  similar 
construction;  and  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the. Works 
completed  two  additional  mounts  of  an  improved  type,  so 
designed  that  the  gun  can  be  fired  at  all  angles  without  trans- 
ferring the  weight  to  a  separate  foundation.  The  new  mounts 
were  given  thorough  tests  and  proved  highly  satisfactory. 

The  Works  also  built  thirty-eight  caterpillar  mounts,  designed 
to  carry  seven-inch  rifles.  These  were  also  constructed  for  the 
Navy,  having  been  designed  at  the  Naval  Gun  Factory.  This 
type  of  mount  has  broad  caterpillar  treads,  and  can  be  run  over 
rough  roads  and  soft  soil.  In  the  field,  these  mounts  are  hauled 
about  by  tractors  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  horsepower. 

In  addition  to  building  complete  mounts,  The  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works  constructed  several  styles  of  railway  trucks  for 
gun  and  howitzer  mounts.  At  the  time  hostilities  closed,  prep- 
arations were  being  made  for  the  manufacture,  on  a  large  scale, 
of  heavy  tanks  equipped  with  Liberty  motors.  These  were 
intended  to  destroy  the  wire  defenses  and  machine  gun  nests  put 
up  by  the  Germans  in  their  retreat.  After  the  signing  of  the 
armistice,  however,  the  order  for  these  tanks  was  cancelled. 

The  war  activities  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  also 
included  the  construction  of  two  large  plants  on  their  property  at 
Eddystone  for  the  manufacture  of  rifles  and  ammunition,  and 
accomplishments  in  this  connection  constitute  a  series  of  achieve- 
ments worthy  of  record. 

On  April  30,  1915,  the  British  Government  placed  a  contract 


124  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

with  the  Remington  Arms  Company  of  Delaware  for  one  million 
five  hundred  thousand  rifles  to  be  manufactured  in  one  of  the 
plants  mentioned  above,  under  the  general  direction  of  Mr.  S.  M. 
Vauclain.  The  work  of  constructing,  equipping  and  organizing 
this  enormous  plant  was  fully  accomplished,  and  production 
established  by  December  31,  1915,  continuing  until  the  close  of 
1918. 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Schlacks  was  engaged  as  General  Manager  on 
May  1,  1915,  and  to  him  great  credit  is  due  for  the  completion  of 
the  organization  and  the  remarkable  manufacturing  results 
obtained. 

The  main  building  of  the  Rifle  Plant  covered  fourteen  acres  of 
ground,  and  had  a  length  of  ten  hundred  and  forty  feet  and  a 
maximum  width  of  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  feet.  Great 
difficulty  was  experienced  in  obtaining  delivery  of  equipment  and 
machinery  in  time  to  meet  the  terms  of  the  British  contract,  and 
some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  installation  may  be  had  from  the 
fact  that  ten  thousand  machines,  forty  thousand  two  hundred 
feet  of  shafting,  and  four  hundred  and  twenty-four  thousand  feet 
of  belting  were  required. 

The  first  British  contract,  mentioned  above,  was  followed  by 
another,  signed  August  2,  1915,  and  calling  for  five  hundred 
thousand  rifles,  necessitated  additional  equipment.  Because  of 
the  complexity  of  rifle  manufacture,  it  was  impossible  to  obtain 
experienced  workmen;  hence  it  was  some  time  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Plant  before  it  could  be  operated  at  capacity.  In 
consequence,  an  extension  of  time  was  granted  for  the  com- 
pletion of  these  contracts. 

Soon  after  the  United  States  entered  the  war,  April  6,  1917,  and 
in  view  of  its  prospective  rifle  requirements,  cancellation  of  the 
British  contracts,  after  the  completion  of  six  hundred  thousand 
rifles,  was  arranged.  Later,  the  British  owned  machinery  and 
equipment  passed  by  agreement  to  the  United  States  Government 
who  continued  the  British  arrangement  with  the  Remington 
Arms  Company  for  its  operation  in  the  manufacture  of  rifles  for 
the  United  States  Army. 

The  first  contract  for  rifles  for  the  United  States  Government 
was  signed  on  July  12,  1917;  and  during  the  twelve  months 


HISTORY   OF   THE'  BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  125 


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126  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

beginning  September,  1917,  one  million  rifles  were  completed, 
the  greatest  known  achievement  in  rifle  production.  These  rifles 
differed  slightly  from  those  manufactured  for  the  British  Govern- 
ment, in  that  they  fired  a  .300  calibre  rimless  cartridge;  whereas 
the  British  rifle,  which  was  an  Enfield  (model  of  1914)  fired  a 
.303  calibre  rim  cartridge. 

On  January  2,  1918,  the  Remington  Arms  Company  of  Dela- 
ware was  absorbed  by  the  Midvale  Steel  and  Ordnance  Company 
(Eddystone  Rifle  Plant).  The  latter  company  operated  the  plant 
until  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  completion  of  rifle  number  one  million  for  the  United 
States  Government  was  celebrated  by  a  mass  meeting  held  on 
September  23,  1918.  The  meeting  was  attended  by  a  number  of 
notable  army,  navy  and  industrial  officials,  and  by  more  than 
fourteen  thousand  employees  of  the  plant. 

Operations  at  the  plant  ceased  on  January  11,  1919,  at  which 
time  nearly  three  hundred  thousand  rifles  were  in  process  of 
manufacture.  The  Government  then  leased  the  premises  for  a 
storage  plant. 

The  total  number  of  rifles  manufactured  in  this  plant  was  one 
million  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
fifty-four,  in  addition  to  spare  parts  equivalent  to  two  hundred 
thousand  rifles.  The  greatest  production  exceeded  six  thousand 
rifles  per  day,  and  the  maximum  number  of  employees  was 
fifteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety-four.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  nearly  two-thirds  of  all  the  rifles  used  in  combat 
by  the  American  Army  in  France  were  manufactured  at  Eddy- 
stone,  the  value  of  the  work  done  can,  to  some  extent,  be  appre- 
ciated ;  and  the  achievement  was  the  more  remarkable  in  view  of 
the  exceptional  difficulties  encountered  in  equipping  the  plant 
and  securing  labor  and  material. 

The  second  plant  referred  to  was  built  primarily  for  the 
production  of  Russian  ammunition  ordered  by  the  British 
Government.  Early  in  1915,  Messrs.  J.  P.  Morgan  and  Company, 
representing  His  Britannic  Majesty's  Government,  were  re- 
quested to  negotiate  with  American  manufacturers  for  the  pro- 
duction of  three-inch  Russian  shrapnel,  and  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauclain 
made  a  tentative  agreement  for  the  manufacture  of  two  million 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  127 

five  hundred  thousand  of  such  shells.  As  the  Charter  of  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  did  not  permit  it  to  handle  explo- 
sives, the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation  was  formed  on 
June  10,  1915,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  contract. 

The  new  Company  was  organized  with  S.  M.  Vauclain  as 
Managing  Director,  Andrew  Fletcher  as  President,  Captain 
Walter  M.  Wilhelm  as  Vice-President  and  General  Manager,  and 
John  P.  Sykes  as  Consulting  Manager.  The  stock  of  the  Com- 
pany was  held  and  owned  outside  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  because  of  provisions  in  the  Charter  to  which  previous 
reference  has  been  made. 

A  contract,  calling  for  two  million  five  hundred  thousand 
rounds  of  three-inch  Russian  artillery  ammunition  with  shrapnel 
shells,  was  executed  on  July  23,  1915,  for  completion  by  December 
31,  1916.  Work  was  immediately  started  on  the  construction  of 
the  plant,  which  was  located  along  the  river  front  on  what  was 
originally  swamp  lands.  The  main  buildings  consisted  of  two 
shops  each  four  hundred  and  fifty  by  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  connected  to  an  office  building  fifty  by  four  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  which  was  placed  between  them.  These  buildings  were 
of  steel  and  tile  construction,  two  stories  high ;  the  upper  floors  of 
the  shop  buildings  being  removable,  so  that  cranes  could  be  sub- 
sequently installed  for  after-war  production.  A  large  number  of 
smaller  structures,  which  were  used  for  powder  loading  buildings, 
storehouses,  magazines,  etc.,  were  also  erected.  The  office  build- 
ing was  completed  and  occupied  November  first. 

In  connection  with  this  plant,  a  modern  wharf  was  built 
along  the  Delaware  River  front.  This  wharf  was  equipped  with 
a  fifty-ton  gantry  crane,  and  had  a  minimum  depth  of  thirty  feet 
of  water  alongside,  so  that  large  cargo  steamers  could  dock  and 
load. 

Some  difficulty  was  experienced  in  equipping  the  plant,  and 
much  of  the  heavy  machinery  was  manufactured  by  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  since  it  could  not  be  obtained  elsewhere.  In 
addition  to  this,  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  installed  the 
heat-treating  plant  and  supervised  its  operation. 

Additional  time  was  allowed  on  the  contracts,  and  the  order 
was  finally  completed  on  August  10,  1917. 


128  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

In  connection  with  this  work  the  Eddystone  Ammunition 
Corporation  secured  the  contract  for  proving  Russian  ammunition 
of  their  own  and  other  makes,  and  a  proving  ground  for  this 
purpose  was  established  at  Lakehurst,  New  Jersey,  with  Captain 
C.  K.  Rockwell  in  charge,  who  distinguished  himself  in  over- 
coming what  appeared  to  be  insurmountable  difficulties  in 
record  time. 

By  this  arrangement  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corpora- 
tion were  required  to  test  ammunition  for  other  manufacturers, 
and  lots  representing  some  seven  million  six  hundred  thousand  of 
three-inch  Russian  shrapnel  and  high  explosive  shells  with  their 
component  parts  were  tested. 

The  work  done  at  the  proving  ground  was  of  the  greatest 
value,  and  was  an  unqualified  success.  The  last  shot  was  fired 
December  24,  1917. 

The  work  done  in  the  plant  of  the  Eddystone  Ammunition 
Corporation  was  necessarily  of  a  dangerous  character,  and  while 
every  precaution  was  taken  to  safe-guard  the  workers,  there  was 
one  serious  disaster.  On  April  10,  1917,  four  days  after  the  United 
States  declared  war  on  Germany,  an  explosion  occurred  in  "F" 
building,  a  loading  shop  isolated  from  the  main  building  on 
account  of  the  large  amount  of  powder  used.  The  building  was 
completely  demolished,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
people  were  killed,  while  a  large  number  of  others  were  injured. 
Heroic  work  was  done  at  the  rescue,  both  by  employees  and  also  by 
outsiders  who  happened  to  be  in  the  vicinity  and  who  could  reach 
the  spot.  The  cause  of  the  explosion  has  never  been  determined. 

In  May,  1917,  the  United  States  Government  requested  the 
Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation  to  submit  a  proposition 
covering  the  manufacture  of  a  large  amount  of  three-inch  shrap- 
nel. Because  of  British  and  Russian  interests  represented, 
however,  the  proposed  program  could  not  be  accepted  by  the 
Directors  of  the  Corporation.  After  some  negotiation,  the  United 
States  Government  agreed  to  purchase  the  machinery  and  equip- 
ment of  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation;  and  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  the  owners  of  the  buildings,  organ- 
ized a  subsidiary  company  to  manufacture  the  shrapnel.  This 
subsidiary  was  organized  on  September  27,  1917,  as  the  Eddy- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  129 

stone  Munitions  Company. 

The  officers  of  the  Company  were  as  follows : — 

Charles  H.  Schlacks,  Chairman  of  the  Board. 

James  McNaughton,  President. 

Captain  Walter  M.  Wilhelm,  Vice-President. 

J.  L.  Tate,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

W.  C.  Stagg,  Assistant  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

For  nearly  a  year  previous  to  the  organization  of  the  Eddy- 
stone  Munitions  Company,  Mr.  McNaughton  had  been  directing 
the  affairs  of  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation  as  personal 
representative  of  Mr.  Vauclain.  He  was  thus  peculiarly  well 
qualified  to  assume  the  presidency  of  the  new  Company.  On 
October  1,  1917,  he  was  also  appointed  Consulting  Vice-President 
of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

The  original  order,  placed  by  the  United  States  Government, 
called  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  complete  rounds  of 
three-inch  shrapnel.  After  the  work  had  been  started,  the  size 
of  the  shells  was  changed  to  seventy-five  millimetres,  which 
materially  retarded  delivery.  Difficulty  was  experienced  in 
maintaining  the  output  of  these  shells,  on  account  of  failure  to 
receive  the  component  parts  promptly. 

On  April  1,  1918,  a  contract  was  signed  for  one  million 
seventy-five  millimetre  high  explosive  shells.  The  cartridge  case 
shop,  in  the  meantime,  was  manufacturing  cartridge  cases  of  high 
quality  at  the  rate  of  sixty  thousand  per  week.  In  addition  there 
were  loaded,  assembled  and  packed  over  one  million  six  hundred 
thousand  rounds  of  seventy-five  millimetre  shrapnel,  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  which  were  furnished  by  the  Government. 

During  the  early  months  of  1918  the  Government  also 
ordered  large  quantities  of  various  kinds  of  fuses,  boosters  and 
adapters,  necessitating  a  number  of  changes  in  the  shop  lay-out 
and  the  installation  of  new  machinery.  This  was  accomplished, 
however,  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time. 

In  addition  to  the  work  for  the  United  States  Government,  a 
contract  was  made  with  the  British  Government  for  five  hundred 
thousand  six-inch  high  explosive  shells.  The  armistice  was 
signed  before  this  contract  was  finished,  but  four  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  of  the  shells  were  actually  completed,  the 


130  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

maximum  production  reaching  four  thousand  two  hundred  per 
day. 

The  epidemic  of  influenza,  which  swept  the  country  early  in 
the  fall  of  1918,  seriously  affected  the  work  of  the  Company  on 
account  of  the  great  amount  of  illness  among  the  employees. 
Among  the  first  to  succumb  was  Captain  Walter  M.  Wilhelm, 
Vice-President,  who  died  on  October  third.  This  was  a  severe 
loss,  as  owing  to  his  wide  experience  in  the  manufacture  of 
.munitions,  his  services  were  of  exceptional  value. 

The  maximum  number  of  employees  of  the  Eddystone 
Munitions  Company  was  six  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
three,  and  the  average  number  four  thousand  two  hundred  and 
thirteen.  The  labor  situation  presented  many  problems,  due  to 
the  heavy  labor  turn-over  and  the  difficulty  of  securing  skilled 
workers.  Excellent  wages,  backed  by  a  bonus  system  and  con- 
siderate, tactful  management,  did  much  to  hold  employees  who 
would  otherwise  have  sought  employment  elsewhere. 

After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  on  November  11,  1918, 
production  rapidly  slackened,  and  on  December  31st  of  that  year 
manufacturing  ceased.  The  machinery  and  equipment  were 
sold,  and  the  buildings  turned  over  to  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works,  to  be  subsequently  re-equipped  as  locomotive  shops. 

An  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  war  activities  of  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  and  its  associated  companies,  may  be  obtained 
from  the  following  summary  of  material  supplied  to  the  Allied 
Nations  and  the  United  States: 

Locomotives  built 5551 

Gun  Mounts  (seven  and  fourteen-inch) 51 

Foundations  for  fourteen-inch  mounts 20 

Trucks  for  gun  and  howitzer  mounts 5  sets 

Total  number  of  shells  (including  those  manu- 
factured by  Eddystone  Ammunition  Cor- 
poration and  Eddystone  Munitions  Com- 
pany)   6,565,355 

Cartridge  cases 1,863,900 

Miscellaneous  ammunition  items 1,905,213 

The  aggregate  value  of  the  war  contracts  executed  and 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  131 

delivered  by  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  the  Standard  Steel 
Works  Company,  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation,  and 
the  Eddystone  Munitions  Company,  was  approximately 
$250,000,000. 

In  connection  with  the  war  activities  of  The  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works,  it  should  be  recorded,  as  a  matter  of  historical 
interest,  that  among  those  lost  on  board  the  Cunard  steamer 
"Lusitania,"  when  that  vessel  was  torpedoed  by  a  German 
submarine  on  May  7,  1915,  were  W.  Sterling  Hodges  and  his 
family.  Mr.  Hodges,  at  the  time,  was  en  route  for  Paris,  where 
he  was  to  act  as  one  of  the  representatives  of  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works. 

While  the  greater  part  of  the  product  of  the  Works,  during 
the  war,  was  for  military  purposes,  a  record  should  also  be  made 
of  a  number  of  interesting  locomotives  for  railway  service.  At 
the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition,  held  in  San  Fran- 
cisco during  1915,  an  exhibit  of  five  steam  locomotives  was 
presented  as  follows: 

A  Mikado  type  locomotive  for  the  Southern  Pacific  Co.; 

A  locomotive  of  similar  construction  for  the  San  Pedro, 
Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  R.  R. ; 

A  Pacific  type  locomotive  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa 
Fe  Ry. ; 

A  Santa  Fe  type  locomotive  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  R.  R.,  and  a  stock  locomotive  of  the  Mikado  type  designed 
for  logging  service.  Two  electric  trucks  were  also  exhibited; 
and  an  exhibit,  made  by  the  McCloud  River  R.  R.,  included  a 
Baldwin  locomotive  built  for  that  line.  The  Works  received  the 
Grand  Prize  for  locomotives  and  electric  trucks. 


MOUNTAIN  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE 
For  the  Jamaica  Government  Railways 


132  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

In  July,  1916,  the  first  locomotives  of  the  Mountain  (4-8-2) 
type  to  be  built  by  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  were 
completed.  They  were  of  standard  gauge,  for  the  Jamaica 
Government  Rys.  The  illustration  on  page  131  shows  the 
general  design.  This  type  of  locomotive  was  subsequently 
built  in  considerable  numbers,  for  heavy  passenger  service  in  the 
United  States. 

The  Government  assumed  control  of  all  the  trunk  line  railways 
of  the  United  States,  December  28,  1917,  at  a  time  when  the 
various  lines  were  taxed  to  their  capacity.  The  operation  of  the 
railways  was  intrusted  to  the  United  States  Railroad  Administra- 
tion, which  body  immediately  assumed  the  right  to  centralize 
the  purchases  of  all  railroad  equipment,  including  locomotives. 
The  Director  General  of  the  Railroad  Administration  immediately 
appointed  a  committee  to  standardize  the  specifications  for 
locomotives  and  in  accordance  with  his  ruling,  that  committee 
and  a  committee  of  railway  officials  collaborated  with  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  locomotive  builders  in  preparing  twelve  speci- 
fications and  designs  of  locomotives  comprising  twelve  sizes  of 
engines  divided  among  eight  types.  The  locomotive  builders 
sharing  in  this  work  were  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  the 
American  Locomotive  Company  and  the  Lima  Locomotive 
Works,  Incorporated.  The  first  conference  was  held  at  the 
office  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  March  13,  14  and  15, 
1918,  and  subsequent  meetings  were  held  in  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Building,  Washington,  with  the  result  that  an  order  for 
standard  locomotives  was  placed  and  divided  among  the  three 
builders  April  30,  1918,  and  subsequent  orders  were  placed  with 
the  last  two  companies  named.  Some  locomotives  of  each  of  the 
twelve  standard  specifications  were  built  by  both  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  and  the  American  Locomotive  Company, 
whereas  the  activities  of  the  Lima  Locomotive  Works  were  con- 
fined to  two  types  of  engines. 

The  standard  locomotives  were  distributed  to  the  various 
railroads  of  the  country  as  directed  by  the  Railroad  Administra- 
tion, and  it  will  be  interesting  to  note  if  the  lower  costs  of  loco- 
motives made  possible  through  standardization  can  overcome,  in 
the  mind  of  the  railroad  world,  the  advantages  which  may  be 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


133 


obtained  through  the  use  of  locomotives  particularly  designed 
and  adapted  to  the  individual  service  of  the  railroads  on  which 
they  operate. 


Heavy  Mikado  Type 

Only  one  order  for  standard  locomotives  was  placed  with  these 
Works,  because  the  capacity  of  the  plant  was  practically  ab- 
sorbed by  the  Government's  demand  for  Military  Railway 
locomotives  and  for  military  and  naval  equipment. 

Locomotive  Number  50,000  was  completed  in  September, 
1918.  This  engine  is  of  the  Mallet  type,  with  2-8-8-2  wheel 
arrangement,  and  is  one  of  a  group  of  twelve,  specially  designed 
for  service  on  the  Appalachia  Division  of  the  Southern  Ry. 
System.  These  locomotives  had  been  ordered  before  the  standard- 
ization program  was  decided  upon.  Locomotive  number  50,000 


MALLET  ARTICULATED  LOCOMOTIVE 
For    the    Southern    Railway.      Baldwin    Locomotive    No.    50.000 

is  equipped  with  a  superheater  and  mechanical  stoker,  and  weighs, 
in  working  order,  four  hundred  and  twenty-seven  thousand 
pounds,  exclusive  of  tender.  The  accompanying  illustration 
represents  the  design. 

When  the  armistice  was  signed  and  it  became  necessary  to 
turn  attention  to  the  problems  of  peace,  it  was  found  that  the 
removal  of  war  business,  however  gradually  accomplished,  would 
reveal  a  lack  of  balance  in  the  general  organization  of  the  Works. 


134  HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 

As  a  consequence  of  this  business  being  obtained  direct  from  the 
United  States  and  Allied  Governments,  the  Commercial  and 
Financial  Departments  remained  undeveloped,  while  the  In- 
dustrial Department  had  been  enormously  increased  to  take  care 
of  the  emergencies  of  war.  This  lack  of  balance  was  particularly 
noticeable  in  the  Sales  Department,  as  war  work  had  been 
obtained  with  practically  no  solicitation. 

In  adjusting  to  meet  the  new  conditions,  it  was  obviously 
necessary  to  expand  the  Commercial  Organization  so  as  to  be 
able  to  obtain  the  business  necessary  for  greatly  enlarged  shops 
and  manufacturing  facilities.  The  opportunity  for  sales  was 
especially  attractive  in  foreign  countries  where  Germany, 
formerly  the  most  active  competitor,  had  lost  ground. 

In  order  to  inaugurate  a  more  vigorous  selling  campaign,  the 
Sales  Department,  in  March,  1919,  was  reorganized,  and  two 
distinct  departments  were  created — a  Domestic  Sales  Depart- 
ment and  a  Foreign  Sales  Department.  The  long  established 
Extra  Work  Department,  with  its  record  of  past  successes,  was 
abolished;  and  the  work  formerly  committed  to  its  care  was 
divided  between  the  two  Sales  Departments.  Mr.  Grafton 
Greenough,  formerly  Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Sales,  was  made 
Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Domestic  Sales.  Mr.  Francois  de  St. 
Phalle,  who  had  been  connected  with  the  Works  since  1903,  and 
who  during  the  war  had  acted  as  Manager  of  Munitions,  was 
appointed  Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Foreign  Sales.  Both 
departments  were  organized  on  the  basis  of  zone  management, 
with  sections  especially  devoted  to  sales  in  certain  determined 
districts  and  countries.  Twelve  direct  Baldwin  offices  were 
opened  in  foreign  countries,  and  men  of  the  highest  capacity 
selected  and  equipped  to  act  as  Baldwin  Managers  in  those 
countries. 

On  May  19,  1919,  Mr.  Alba  B.  Johnson  resigned  from  the 
presidency.  Mr.  Johnson  first  entered  the  service  of  the  Works 
as  junior  clerk  on  May  14,  1877.  He  left  the  following  year  to 
enter  the  employment  of  the  Edge  Moor  Iron  Works  of  Wilming- 
ton, Delaware,  returning  to  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  on 
September  1,  1879.  From  that  time  until  his  resignation,  he 
served  the  Works  continuously;  first  as  assistant  to  Mr.  John  H. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  135 

Converse,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Burnham,  Williams  and 
Company  from  January  1,  1896;  as  Vice-President  and  Treasurer 
from  July  1,  1909,  and  finally  as  President  from  July  1,  1911.  Mr. 
Johnson's  contribution  to  the  succass  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  was  steady  and  important  throughout  these  many  years. 
His  efforts  to  develop  the  foreign  business  of  the  Company  were 
untiring,  and  his  abilities  in  the  executive  capacities  in  which  he 
was  engaged  were  strengthened  by  an  exceptional  memory  for  the 
facts  of  important  transactions  throughout  the  period  of  his  long 
service. 

Mr.  Johnson  w#s  succeeded  as  President  by  Mr.  S.  M.  Vauc- 
lain.  He  continued  to  serve,  however,  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Directors. 

On  May  19,  1919,  Mr.  William  de  Krafft  was  appointed 
Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Finance,  and  Treasurer.  Mr.  de 
Krafft  had  been  connected  with  the  Works  since  March  29,  1895. 
After  serving  in  a  number  of  the  shop  offices,  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Purchasing  Department,  and  subsequently  to  the  Finan- 
cial Department  in  the  Main  office.  When  the  Company  was 
first  incorporated,  on  July  1,  1909,  Mr.  de  Krafft  was  appointed 
Secretary  and  Assistant  Treasurer.  At  the  time  of  the  second 
incorporation,  July  1,  1911,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  which  position  he  held  until  his  appointment  as 
Vice-President. 

Two  orders  of  special  interest,  which  were  filled  for  export 
during  the  winter  of  1919-1920,  called  respectively  for  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  locomotives  for  the  Polish  Government  and  thirty 
for  the  South  African  Railways.  The  Polish  locomotives  are  of 
standard  gauge,  and  are  practically  duplicates  of  the  "Pershing" 
Consolidation  engines  previously  described.  The  South  African 
locomotives  are  of  three  feet  six  inches  gauge,  and  are  of  the 
Mountain  (4-8-2)  type.  They  have  a  total  weight,  exclusive  of 
tender,  of  two  hundred  and  five  thousand  pounds,  and  are  of 
exceptional  capacity  in  view  of  the  narrow  gauge  and  the  re- 
stricted clearance  limits  imposed.  They  were  built  in  accord- 
ance with  drawings  and  specifications  furnished  by  the  railway, 
and  the  design  incorporates  plate  frames  and  various  other 
special  features.  One  of  these  locomotives  is  illustrated  herewith. 


136  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


MOUNTAIN  TYPE  LOCOMOTIVE,   SOUTH   AFRICAN   RAILWAYS 

In  this  connection,  special  reference  should  be  made  to  the 
shipping  and  receiving  facilities,  both  domestic  and  foreign,  which 
have  been  developed  by  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works.  The 
Eddystone  Plant,  where  locomotives  are  erected  and  prepared 
for  shipment,  has  track  connection  with  three  important  railways. 
The  Washington  main  line  and  a  branch  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  system,  the  main  line  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad, 
and  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railway  all  run  directly  to  the 
plant,  and  connect  with  a  system  of  industrial  railways  covering 
all  material  yards,  shops  and  docks.  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  is  thus  not  only  fitted  with  full  facilities  for  railway  and 
deep  water  shipping,  but  also  for  the  receiving  of  materials  direct 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  or  from  foreign  ports. 

The  Eddystone  Plant  is  located  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Delaware  River  about  fourteen  miles  below  the  City  of  Phila- 
delphia, which  stands  second  to  New  York  only  among  the  ports 
of  the  United  States,  the  total  movement  of  freight  through  the 
port  in  1919  amounting  to  9,314,755  tons.  To  accommodate 
this  traffic  the  Delaware  has  been  dredged  to  provide  a  ship 
channel  eight  hundred  feet  in  width  and  thirty-five  feet  in  depth 
at  low  water.  At  Eddystone  the  channel  lies  about  two  thousand 
feet  off  shore.  In  1915,  when  the  port  facilities  at  Eddystone  were 
planned,  Crum  Creek,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide  and 
from  two  to  six  feet  deep,  flowed  through  the  land  selected  as  the 
development  site,  which  was  low  and  marshy,  being  under  water 
at  high  tide.  In  general  terms  the  project  contemplated  the 
diversion  of  Crum  Creek  to  a  new  channel  farther  to  the  north- 
ward, the  reclamation  of  the  marshy  area  through  which  it 
formerly  flowed,  the  construction  upon  the  reclaimed  land  of  a 
system  of  wharves  with  suitable  storage  yards  and  railroad 


PLAN  VIEW  or  EDDYSTONE  PLANT,    1920.   SHOWING   RAILROAD   CONNECTIONS  AND 
DOCKING  FACILITIES 


138  HISTORY   OF    THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 

connections,  and  the  provision  of  a  turning  basin  and  a  dredged 
channel  affording  access  from  the  wharves  to  the  ship  channel 
as  well  as  ample  space  for  maneuvering  vessels  at  the  docks. 

Reference  to  the  plan  of  the  Eddystone  Works  as  thus  far 
developed,  which  appears  on  page  137,  will  serve  to  fix  in  mind 
the  features  of  this  installation  as  well  as  the  general  layout  of 
the  plant  and  its  location  with  reference  to  the  railroads  running 
through  or  adjacent  to  it. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  wharf  built  during  the  War, 
adjoining  the  plant  which  was  leased  to  the  Eddystone  Ammuni- 
tion Corporation.  The  north-east  front  of  this  wharf  is  five 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  and  is  served  by  a  gantry  portal 
crane  of  fifty  tons  capacity.  The  south-east  front,  six  hundred 
and  forty  feet  in  length,  is  used  for  package  freight  which  can  be 
loaded  by  ship's  tackle.  Both  fronts  are  served  by  adequate 
trackage.  A  turning  basin  eleven  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and 
having  a  minimum  depth  of  thirty  feet  of  water,  is  located  along- 
side the  wharf.  This  basin  communicates  with  the  main  ship 
channel  by  a  connecting  channel  three  hundred  feet  wide,  having 
a  minimum  depth  of  twenty-two  feet  at  low  tide,  and  a  maximum 
depth  of  twenty-eight  at  high  tide.  Sea-going  steamers  can  thus 
be  loaded  at  the  plant,  for  direct  shipment  to  any  foreign  port. 

These  docking  facilities,  which  will  be  increased  as  occasion 
requires,  constitute  the  nucleus  of  a  modern  loading  port  at 
Eddystone.  They  have  been  provided  in  accordance  with  the 
policy  of  the  Works  to  offer  the  most  improved  and  complete 
service  possible.  The  Branch  Offices  and  Agencies  of  the  Com- 
pany, listed  on  page  144,  are  so  located  as  to  cover  the  world's 
territory  to  the  best  possible  advantage,  and  are  prepared  to 
render  the  most  prompt  and  efficient  service.  This  service 
includes  the  superintendence  of  shipment  under  the  expert  and 
individual  attention  of  a  specially  organized  shipping  department 
and  the  erection  and  trial  of  locomotives  on  arrival  at  their 
destination. 

The  illustration  on  page  139,  shows  the  loading  of  locomo- 
tives on  the  steamship  "Kosciuszko,"  and  is  interesting  for  the 
reason  that  this  vessel  flies  the  flag  of  the  recently  formed  Polish 
Republic,  and  was  the  first  steamer  of  Polish  registry  to  clear 


140 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


from  any  American  port.  She  docked  at  Eddystone,  December 
1,  1919,  and  departed  December  11,  having  loaded  twelve 
locomotives  for  the  Polish  Government.  Shortly  thereafter  she 
sailed  direct  for  Danzig,  the  newly  acquired  Polish  port.  The 
engraving  below  shows  a  small  part  of  the  river  frontage,  with 
two  steamers  docked  for  loading.  On  page  141,  is  shown  a 
portion  of  the  wharf  served  by  the  gantry  crane  and  piled  high 
with  packing  cases  ready  for  shipment. 


STEAMERS   MOORED   AT   THE   EDDYSTONE   WHARVES 

Philadelphia's  location  is  peculiarly  favorable,  in  that  it  is  in 
proximity  to  the  principal  coal  mining  and  steel  manufacturing 
sections  of  the  country.  The  city,  moreover,  has  a  large  per- 
manent population  of  skilled  mechanics,  engaged  in  machine 
and  engine  building,  thus  giving  an  abundant  force  of  expert 
workmen  from  which  to  draw  when  necessary. 

The  Works  are  fully  equipped  to  build  all  types  of  locomotives 
and  to  supply  locomotive  duplicate  and  repair  parts  of  every 
description.  With  the  exception  of  the  boiler  and  tank  plates, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


141 


ON  THE  WHARF  AT  EDDYSTONE,  SHOWING  PACKING  CASES  READY  FOR  SHIPMENT 

chilled  wheels,  boiler  tubes  and  special  patented  appliances,  all 
parts  of  locomotives  and  tenders  are  made  in  the  main  or  adjunct 
plants  from  the  raw  materials.  The  Works  are  also  prepared  to 
furnish  such  general  engineering  supplies  and  equipment  as  can 
be  manufactured  in  a  large  locomotive  building  plant. 

Beginning  with  "Old  Ironsides,"  built  in  1831-32,  consecutive 
construction  numbers  have  been  applied  to  the  locomotives  built 
at  these  Works.  The  growth  of  the  business  is  indicated  by  the 
following  statement,  giving  the  years  for  the  completion  of  loco- 
motives numbered  in  even  thousands: 


No.  1,000, 

1861 

No.  13,000, 

1892 

No.  25,000, 

1905 

"   2,000, 

1869 

"  14,000, 

1894 

"  26,000, 

1905 

"   3,000, 

1872 

"  15,000, 

1896 

"  27,000, 

1905 

"   4,000, 

1876 

"  16,000, 

1898 

"  28,000, 

1906 

"   5,000, 

1880 

"  17,000, 

1899 

"  29,000, 

1906 

"   6,000, 

1882 

"  18,000, 

1900 

"  30,000, 

1907 

"   7,000, 

1883 

"  19,000, 

1901 

"  31,000, 

1907 

"   8,000, 

1886 

"  20,000, 

1902 

"  32,000, 

1907 

"   9,000, 

1888 

"  21,000, 

1902 

"  33,000, 

1908 

"  10,000, 

1889 

"  22,000, 

1903 

"  34,000, 

1909 

"  11,000, 

1890 

"  23,000, 

1903 

"  35,000, 

1910 

"  12,000, 

1891 

"  24,000, 

1904 

"  36,000, 

1911 

142 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 

No. 

37,000, 

38,000, 
39,000, 
40,000, 
41,000, 
42,000, 

1911 
1912 
1912 
1913 
1913 
1915 

No. 

43,000, 
44,000, 
45,000, 
46,000, 
47,000, 
48,000, 

1916 
1916 
1917 
1917 
1917 
1918 

No.  49,000, 
"  50,000, 
"  51,000, 
"  52,000, 
"  53,000, 

1918 
1918 
1918 
1919 
1920 

The  production  during  the  years  1866-1919  was  as  follows: 


Year 

1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 
1880. 
1881. 
1882. 
1883. 


Locomotives      Year 


..118 

1884. 

.127 

1885. 

.124 

1886. 

.235 

1887. 

.280 

1888. 

.331 

1889. 

.422 

1890 

.437 

1891. 

.205 

1892. 

.130 

1893 

.232 

1894 

.185 

1895. 

.292 

1896. 

.298 

1897. 

.517 

1898 

.554 

1899. 

.563 

1900. 

.557 

1901. 

Locomotives 

Year 

Locomotives 

.  .429 

1902  .  . 

1533 

.  .242 

1903  .  . 

2022 

.  .550 

1904.  . 

1485 

.  .653 

1905  . 

2250 

.  .737 

1906.  . 

2666 

.  .827 

1907  . 

2655 

.  .946 

1908.  . 

617 

.  .899 

1909. 

1024 

.731 

1910.  . 

1675 

.  .772 

1911. 

1606 

.313 

1912. 

1618 

.  .401 

1913. 

2061 

.  .547 

1914. 

804 

.  .501 

1915.  . 

867 

.  .755 

1916.  . 

1989 

.  .901 

1917. 

2737 

.1217 

1918.  . 

3580 

.1375 

1919.  . 

..1722 

The  present  organization,  based  upon  an  annual  capacity  of 
three  thousand  five  hundred  locomotives,  is  as  follows: 


Number  of  men  employed 

Hours  of  labor,  per  man,  per  day 

Principal  departments  run  continuously,  hours  per 

day 

Horse-power  employed  jStremSgines:. 

Electric  power  purchased  (horse-power) 

Number  of  buildings  comprised  in  the  Works .     .  . 

Acreage  comprised  in  the  Works  j  ^^a ;  ;  ; 
Acreage  of  floor  space  comprised  in  buildings 


21,500 
10 

23 

16,700 

3,400 

8,500 

137 

19.33 

595.65 

143 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  143 

Horse-power  of  electric  motors  employed  for  power 

transmission,  aggregate 57,400 

Number  of  incandescent  electric  lamps  in  service. .  14,000 

Number  of  electric  motors  in  service 3,450 

Consumption  of  coal,  in  net  tons,  per  week,  about  4,200 

"  fuel  oil,  in  gallons,  per  week,  about  175,000 
"  iron  and   steel,  in   net  tons,  per 

week,  about 6,500 

Consumption  of  other  materials,  in  net  tons,  per 

week,  about 3,000 

The  future  holds  out  many  prospects  of  trade  expansion, 
and  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  are  fully  prepared  to  meet 
any  demands,  either  domestic  or  foreign,  which  may  be  made 
upon  them. 


144 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 

General  Offices  of  the  Company 
500  North  Broad  Street,  Philadelphia 


REPRESENTATIVES  AND  AGENTS 

New  York,  N.  Y. 

RICHARD  SANDERSON 

120    Broadway 

Chicago,  111. 

CHARLES  RIDDELL 

627    Railway    Exchange 

St.    Louis,   Mo. 

A.   S.   GOBLE 

1210  Boatmen's  Bank  Building 

Richmond,   Va. 

G.  F.  JONES 

407  Travelers  Building 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

E.   CONVERSE  PEIRCE 

279  Union  Arcade  Building 

Houston,  Texas 

PAUL  G.   CHEATHAM 

401  Carter   Building 

St.   Paul,   Minn. 

HENRY  BLANCHARD 

908     Merchants     National     Bank 

Building 

Portland,  Ore. 

A.  J.  BEUTER 

312  Northwestern  Bank  Building 

San  Francisco,   Cal. 

WILLIAMS,  DIMOND  &  Co. 

310    Sansome   Street 

Argentine  Republic 

WALLACE  R.  LEE 

Buenos  Aires,  Paseo  Colon   185 

Balkan  States 

E.  ST.J.  GREBLE 

Bucharest,    Roumania 

Brazil 

C.  H.  CRAWFORD 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  Rua  Alfandega,  S 

Brazil 

CORY  BROS.  &  Co.,  LTD. 

Bahia 

Brazil 

EDWARD  C.  HOLDEN 

Para 

Brazil 

MONTEATH    &    CO. 

Pernambuco 

Chile 

WESSEL,  DUVAL  &  Co. 

Valparaiso 

China 

ANDERSEN,  MEYER  &  Co.,  LTD. 

Shanghai 

Dutch   East  Indies 

J.  O.  FEENSTRA 

Bandoeng,  Java 

France 

H.  A.  F.  CAMPBELL 

Paris,   14  Rue  Duphot 

Great   Britain 

R.   P.   C.   SANDERSON 

London,  34   Victoria   Street, 

S.  W.  1 

Hawaiian   Islands 

C.   BREWER  &  Co.,   LTD. 

Honolulu 

Japan 

SALE  &  FRAZAR,  LTD. 

Tokio 

Mexico 

CARL  HOLT  SMITH 

Mexico  City 

New  South  Wales 

R.  TOWNS  &  Co. 

Sydney 

New  Zealand 

PHILIPS  &  PIKE 

Wellington 

Peru 

C.     R.    CULLEN 

Lima 

Poland 

FRANK  W.   MORSE 

Warsaw,   Krolewska,   1 

Porto    Rico    and 

Santo  Domingo 

R.  CARRION 

San     Juan,     American     Colonial 

Bank    Building 

Portugal 

E.   PINTO  BASTO   &  Co.,    LTD. 

Lisbon 

Portuguese   East 

Africa 

MANN,   GEORGE   &    Co.,    LTD. 

Lourenco  Marques,  Delagoa  Bay 

Scandinavia 

OLAV   BELSHEIM 

Christiania,    Norway    (Toldboga- 

den,  8) 

Southern   Africa 

F.  V.   GREEN 

Johannesburg 

Spain 

H.  P.  AUSTIN 

Madrid,  Apartado  473 

Victoria 

NEWELL  &  Co. 

Melbourne 

Western  Australia 

LESLIE  &  Co. 

Perth 

West  Indies 

G.   R.   PEREZ 

Havana,    520    National    Bank    of 

Cuba  Building 

HISTORY 

OF  THE 


Standard  Steel  Works  Company 


STANDARD  STEEL  WORKS  Co, 

OFFICES: 
500  North  Broad  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


WORKS:  Burnham,  Pa. 


TRADE    MARK 


DIRECTORS 

ALBA  B.  JOHNSON,  Rosemont,  Pa. 

SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN,  Rosemont,  Pa. 

SYDNEY  E.  HUTCHINSON,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
SIDNEY  F.  TYLER,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

B.  DAWSON  COLEMAN,  Lebanon,  Pa. 

ARTHUR  W.   SEWALL,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

ARTHUR  E.  NEWBOLD,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


OFFICERS 


ARTHUR  E.  NEWBOLD 
SAMUEL  M.  VAUCLAIN 
ROBERT  RADFORD 
A.  A.  STEVENSON 
WM.  H.  PUGH,  JR. 
A.  B.  EHST 


Chairman  of  the  Board 
.  President 

Vice-President  and  Treasurer 
.  Vice-President  and  Engineer 

Secretary 
.  Comptroller 


HISTORY 

OF  THE 

Standard  Steel  Works  Company 

The  executive  offices  of  the  Standard  Steel  Works  Company 
are  located  at  500  North  Broad  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  Works  are  situated  at  Burnham,  on  the  Kisha- 
coquillas  Creek,  about  three  miles  from  Lewistown,  Mifflin 
County,  Pennsylvania;  a  locality  long  identified  with  the  iron 
and  steel  industry. 

The  land  on  which  the  Works  are  built  is  part  of  a  tract 
originally  warranted  by  Everhart  Martin  on  April  2,  1755. 
Two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  the  original  warrant  were 
sold  to  George  Hanawalt  on  July  4,  1795,  for  £1000.  A  forge 
was  established  in  1795  by  William  Brown  and  William  Maclay, 
who  petitioned  the  Court  in  August,  1795,  for  "a  road  from 
Freedom  Forge  by  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  the  River  Juniata, 
near  to  or  at  McClelland 's  Landing."  In  1811  Freedom  Forge 
was  acquired  by  Joseph  Martin,  Samuel  Miller  and  John  Brown, 
who  operated  under  the  name  of  Miller,  Martin  and  Company. 
In  1827  John  Norris  purchased  the  interests  of  William  Brown, 
but  resold  it  in  1833  to  William  Brown,  Jr.  The  Plant  was  used 
until  1834,  when  it  was  rebuilt  with  "one  chafery  and  six  refinery 
fires"  having  a  capacity  of  "eight  hundred  tons  of  blooms  per 
annum." 

In  1847  the  forge  and  furnace  portion  of  the  property  was 
purchased  by  Archibald  Wright,  John  Wright  and  John  A. 
Wright,  Philadelphia.  In  1856  Messrs.  Wright  transferred  the 
property  to  the  "Freedom  Iron  Company"  with  Joseph  Thomas 
as  President.  A  tire  mill  with  a  capacity  of  two  thousand  tires 
a  year  was  added.  In  1865  the  Company  installed  two  five- ton 
Bessemer  converters  and  rail  mill,  and  built  the  Emma  Furnace 
with  the  intention  of  using  the  "Stone  Creek"  ores  to  supply  the 
Bessemer  plant.  The  first  heat  was  blown  May  1,  1868.  A  tire 
mill  and  a  double  acting  ten-ton  steam  hammer  were  imported 


150 


STANDARD   STEEL   WORKS   COMPANY 


from  England.  The  use  of  the  native  ores  proved  unsuccessful, 
and  in  1870  the  Bessemer  plant  was  sold,  some  of  the  machinery 
being  removed  to  Joliet,  Illinois,  some  to  Johnstown,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  the  remainder  becoming  the  property  of  the  Logan 
Iron  and  Steel  Company. 

In  1870  William  Butcher  leased  the  tire  mill  and  hammer 
and  the  building  erected  for  the  Bessemer  plant,  and  began  the 
manufacture  of  crucible  steel  tires.  William  Butcher  took  with 
him  from  Philadelphia  forty  men  for  tire  rollers,  hammermen  and 
machinists.  Some  of  these  men  who  manufactured  the  first  steel 
tires  made  in  America  are  still  (1920)  in  the  employ  of  the 
Standard  Steel  Works. 

The  following  year  he  failed,  his  creditors  carrying  on  the 
business  until  1875,  when  they  organized  The  Standard  Steel 
Works,  which  was  incorporated  in  that  year.  The  Standard 
Steel  Works  purchased  the  property  in  1895.  The  manufacture 
of  crucible  steel  tires  was  continued  for  some  years.  With  the 
advent  of  acid  open-hearth  steel  for  tires  an  arrangement  was 
made  with  the  Otis  Steel  Company,  then  the  leading  manu- 
facturer of  steel,  under 
which  tires  were  pro- 
duced from  Otis  steel 
ingots.  This  partnership 
continued  until,  realizing 
the  necessity  of  pro- 
ducing their  own  steel, 
the  Company  established 
a  complete  melting 
plant,  from  which  the 
first  heat  was  poured 
March  19,  1895.  This 
furnace,  which  had  a 
capacity  of  fifteen  tons, 
was  the  first  rolling  open- 
hearth  furnace  to  be  put 
into  operation.  It  was  served  by  an  electric-driven  charging 
machine,  which  was  the  first  of  its  kind  to  be  used,  and  is  still 
in  operation. 


STEEL  TIRED  WHEEL  WITH  PLATE  CENTER 


STANDARD    STEEL   WORKS   COMPANY 


151 


The  manufacture  of  built-up  steel  tired  wheels  for  engine 
trucks,  coaches,  tenders  and  industrial  purposes  was  begun  in 
1892.  The  centers  were  made  of  wrought  or  cast  iron,  and  later 
cast  steel  centers  were  added. 

In  1895  the  Company  designed  and  introduced  the  bolted 
type  of  steel  tired  wheel,  which  has  proved  to  be  the  best  type 
for  all  purposes.  It  has  been  adopted  by  many  railroads,  to  the 
extent  that  other  types  of  tire  fastening  have  become  practically 
obsolete.  The  bolted  type  was  adopted  by  the  Master  Car 
Builders'  Association  in 
June,  1912,  as  the 
standard  M.  C.  B.  type 
of  tire  fastening. 

In  1911  the  Com- 
pany introduced  the 
rolled  steel  center, 
placing  five  hundred 
such  centers  with 
bolted  type  tires  in  the 
Pullman  service.  Since 
then  the  majority  of 
steel  tired  wheels  have 
been  fitted  with  rolled 

Steel  Centers.  STEEL  TIRED  WHEEL  WITH   SI-OKE  CENTER 

The  demand  for  steel  castings  being  in  excess  of  the  supply, 
a  steel  foundry  was  established  in  1897  with  two  fifteen-ton  open- 
hearth  furnaces,  which  furnaces  have  since  been  rebuilt  as 
stationary  furnaces  of  twenty  tons  capacity.  The  demand  for 
steel  castings  kept  increasing,  so  that  it  was  necessary  in  1910  to 
erect  No.  2  Steel  Foundry,  which  doubled  the  capacity. 

As  the  demand  for  locomotive  forgings  was  in  evidence  the 
Company  built  a  Forge  Shop  in  1898.  It  was  necessary  to  enlarge 
in  1902;  and  in  1916,  under  the  stress  of  war  conditions,  its 
capacity  and  scope  were  increased  by  the  installation  of  seven 
steam  hydraulic  presses.  At  the  present  time  (1920)  the  Com- 
pany is  equipped  with  a  plant  of  the  most  modern  type,  and  is 
able  to  produce  locomotive  and  marine  forgings,  shafts,  rolls, 
ordnance  forgings  and  miscellaneous  forgings  of  weights  up  to 
forty  tons,  which  can  be  handled  under  presses  or  hammers. 


152  STANDARD    STEEL   WORKS   COMPANY 

During  the  year  1900  plans  for  the  systematic  enlargement 
of  every  department  of  the  Standard  Steel  Works  were  instituted. 
The  bed  of  the  Kishacoquillas  Creek  was  changed  to  allow 
uninterrupted  space  for  additional  buildings. 

The  advent  of  new  and  greater  activities  necessitated  the 
installation  of  increased  facilities  for  the  greater  production  of 
steel.  Consequently,  in  1902  Open-Hearth  Plant  No.  2  was  built 
with  one  fifty-ton  open-hearth  furnace.  Another  fifty-ton  open- 
hearth  furnace  was  added  in  1905,  a  third  in  1907,  a  fourth  in  1910 
and  a  fifth  in  1916.  Open-Hearth  Plant  No.  3  was  built  in  1917 
with  two  seventy-five-ton  open-hearth  furnaces.  The  capacity  at 

this  time  (1920)  is 
approximately  two  hundred 
thousand  tons  annually. 

Previous  to  1903  the 
Company  operated  a  small 
iron  foundry  for  the  pro- 
duction of  its  own  cast  iron 

•    ™  wheel  centers  and    miscel- 

laneous castings  for  its  own 
work.  In  1903  two  large 
iron  foundries  were  built  for 
the  manufacture  of  mis- 
cellaneous castings.  Since 
then  the  Company  has 
utilized  the  foundries  for 
the  production  of  their 

own  centers,  ingot  moulds  and  other  castings  required  for  their 
own  use,  and  malleable  iron  for  the  trade. 

In  1903  a  Spring  Shop  was  built  with  machinery  of  the 
latest  and  most  approved  design,  especially  constructed  to  meet 
requirements  of  this  particular  class  of  manufacture.  It  has  been 
kept  modern  with  the  most  up-to-date  machinery  to  supply  the 
most  exacting  demands. 

In  1904  the  manufacture  of  the  "Standard"  solid  forged  and 
rolled  steel  wheels  was  begun.  This  was  the  introduction  of  this 
type  of  wheel  into  America,  and  it  was  at  that  time  offered  as  a 
substitute  for  the  cast  iron  chilled  wheel  which  had  become 


STANDARD    STEEL   WORKS   COMPANY  153 

inadequate  for  modern  service.  The  demand  for  rolled  wheels  to 
replace  cast  iron  chilled  wheels  under  the  lightest  as  well  as  the 
heaviest  equipment  constantly  increased,  so  that  in  1910  a  second 
plant  was  erected,  doubling  the  capacity.  In  order  to  meet  the 
increased  demands  in  1917,  a  third  mill  was  erected.  The 
preliminary  forging  operations  for  this  mill  are  performed  on  two 
four-cylinder  hydraulic  presses  of  ten  thousand  tons  capacity, 
especially  designed  for  the  work.  The  furnaces  in  this  mill  are 
heated  by  pulverized  coal  supplied  from  a  central  pulverizing 
station. 

Realizing  the  necessity  of  improving  the  steel  in  every 
possible  manner  in  order  to  meet  the  most  exacting  demands,  the 
subject  of  heat  treatment  has  been  given  careful  consideration 
and  extensive  experiments  have  been  carried  on.  In  1910  a  large 
heating  plant  was  built,  with  further  extensive  additions  in  1911. 
In  1916  the  plant  was  doubled  in  capacity  and  provided  with 
vertical  tanks  that  were  required  for  annealing,  quenching,  and 
tempering  of  gun  and  howitzer  forgings,  which  were  supplied  by 
the  Company  to  the  United  States  Government.  The  furnaces 
are  equipped  with  accurate  pyrometer  control. 

The  weight  of  electric  equipment  and  the  severity  of  service 
were  constantly  increasing  so  that  cast  steel  gears  and  pinions 
were  neither  rendering  adequate  service,  nor  could  they  meet  the 
demands  imposed  upon  them.  In  1911,  therefore,  the  Company 
began  the  manufacture  of  forged  steel  gears,  which  have  met  all 
expectations  and  proved  very  successful. 

The  production  of  the  various  products  necessarily  meant 
constant  increase  in  machine  shop  capacity,  so  that  now  the 
main  shop  is  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  wide  by  ten 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  containing  horizontal  boring  mills  for 
machining  tires,  wheels  and  driving-wheel  centers,  with  additional 
equipment  of  lathes,  planers  and  other  tools  for  finishing  heavy 
forgings ;  and  equipped  with  specially  designed  lathes  for  hollow 
boring  of  driving-axles,  wrist  pins,  etc. 

Among  the  specialties  produced  by  the  Company,  particular 
mention  must  be  made  of  built-up  crank  axles  for  locomotives. 
This  type  of  crank  axle  was  originally  designed  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  four-cylinder  balanced  compound  locomotive. 


154 


STANDARD    STEEL   WORKS    COMPANY 


Solid  forged  crank  axles  are  in  extensive  use  in  Europe,  but  for 
lighter  locomotives  than  are  used  in  America.  Even  with  the 
lighter  locomotives,  the  solid  cranks  have  not  proved  entirely 
satisfactory.  In  addition  to  the  axle  designed  by  the  Company 
for  use  in  the  United  States,  the  Company  during  the  war 
designed  and  supplied  a  large  number  of  crank  axles  built  on  the 
same  general  principle  but  of  different  pattern.  The  majority  of 
these  axles  were  built  up  of  nine  pieces,  while  others  were  made  in 
five  pieces,  the  crank-pins  and  central  web  being  made  from  a 
single  quenched  and  tempered  forging. 

The  Standard  Steel  Works  met  the  demands  imposed  upon 
it  by  the  extraordinary  conditions  caused    by    the  World    War. 


FIVE-PIECE  LOCOMOTIVE  CRANK  AXLE 

It  was  found  necessary  to  maintain  a  full  volume  of  output  and  at 
the  same  time  to  develop  and  manufacture  shell  and  gun  forgings. 
Large  quantities  of  4.7"  to  12"  shells  were  supplied  for  the 
British  Government  and  equal  quantities  of  3"  and  4.7"  for  the 
United  States  Government.  Upon  the  entrance  of  the  United 
States  into  the  war  the  Government  called  upon  the  Company 
to  supply  155  millimeter  gun  and  155  millimeter  howitzer 
forgings. 

The  total  area  covered  at  the  present  time  by  buildings  and 
yard  is  119  acres.  The  main  plant  lies  along  the  east  bank  of 
the  Kishacoquillas  Creek.  Water  pipes  connected  with  a  con- 


STANDARD    STEEL   WORKS    COMPANY 


stant  and  abundant  supply  of  water,  are  laid  throughout  the 
Works,  with  convenient  outlets  at  various  points.  A  well- 
drilled  fire  department  is  maintained,  manned  and  officered  by 
the  employees. 

There  are  fifteen  miles  of  track  in  and  around  the  plant, 
owned  by  the  Company,  on  which  are  operated  nine  steam 
locomotives,  two  electric  locomotives,  nine  locomotive  cranes, 
one  self-propelled  hoisting  engine  and  eighty-one  cars. 

The  entire  plant  is  thoroughly  modern  in  every  particular 
with  every  labor-saving  device  incorporated.  It  represents  the 
progress  of  the  iron  and  steel  industry  which  has  been  con- 
tinuous from  the  little  forge  of  1795,  operated  by  water  power 
and  distributing  its  products  by  wagon,  river  and  canal,  to  the 
extensively  developed  plant  of  1920  with  its  diverse  industries, 
capable  of  producing  two  hundred  thousand  tons  of  steel  yearly 
and  employing  five  thousand  men. 


156  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


INDEX 

Abt  system  of  rack-rail,  locomotives  for 79,  84 

Adhesion,  device  for  increasing 20 

Africa,  locomotives  for 80,  135 

Air-spring  for  locomotives 34 

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific  Exposition,  exhibit 103 

American  Bridge  Co :. 122 

American  Railroad  of  Porto  Rico,  locomotive  for 97 

American  type  locomotive,  first  used 26,  39 

Anthracite  coal,  first  attempts  to  burn 24 

Antofagasta  Railway,  locomotive  with  outside  frames 76 

Associated  Lines  Mikado  type  locomotives 108 

Associated  Lines,  "Standard"  locomotive  designs 96 

Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway,  Prairie  type  locomotives..  .  .90,  100 

Decapod  type  locomotive 94 

Oil  burning  locomotives 95 

Santa  Fe  type  locomotives.  ...     96 
Atlantic   type   balanced    com- 
pound locomotive 97 

"       "       "           "         Mallet  locomotives  with  articu- 
lated boilers 109 

Pacific  type  balanced  compound 

locomotive 106,  107 

Atlantic  Avenue  Railway  motor 69 

Atlantic  City  Railroad,  fast  time  on 87,  88 

Atlantic  Coast  Line,  Atlantic  type  locomotives  for 82 

Atlantic  type  locomotives 82,  86,  89,  90,  97 

Austin,  WilHam  L 76,  104,  105 

Austria,  locomotive  for 28 

Averill  Coal  and  Oil  Co.,  narrow  gauge  locomotive 64 

Baird,  Matthew . 45,  67 

Balanced  compound  locomotives,  description 92 

Baldwin,  M.  W.  &  Co.,  new  firm 45 

Baldwin  &  Vail,  new  firm 26 

Baldwin  &  Whitney,  new  firm 35 

Baldwin  compound  locomotive,  first 78 

Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  incorporation  of 104 

Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  The,  incorporation  of 105 

Baldwin,  M.  W 7,  61 

Baldwin,  Vail  &  Hufty 26 

Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  eight-wheeled  connected  locomotives 43 

ten-wheeled  locomotives 85 

Banquet,  Union  League 94 

Bavarian  State  Railways,  Atlantic  type  locomotives 90 

"         Consolidation  type  locomotives 90 

Belgian  State  Railways,  locomotives  for 90 

Belmont,  August,  Austrian  locomotive 28 

Bismarck,  Washburn  and  Great  Falls  Railway,  Mikado  type  locomotive    .  94 

Bissell,  Levi,  air-spring 34 

Bissell  truck  first  used,  1861 57 

Board  of  Directors 104,  105 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  157 


Bo  ler,  articulated,  for  Mallet  locomotives 109 

Dimpfel 56 

dome,  abandoned 45 

radial  stay  wagon-top,  introduced .      77 

straight,  with  two  domes 56,  64 

Vanderbilt. 91 

wagon-top,  introduced 45 

Bonds,  issue  of 104 

Bone  Guelma  Railway,  locomotives  for 88 

Borst,  W.  W.,  report  of  performance  of  narrow  gauge  locomotives 65 

Boston  and  Maine  Railroad,  electric  locomotives 112 

Bound  Brook  Line,  fast  passenger  locomotive 72 

Brass  tires  used  on  locomotive  "Brandywine" 21 

British  Government,  locomotives  for 117,  118 

rifles  for 123 

Burnham,  George 62,  115 

Burnham,  George,  Jr 84,  101 

Burnham,  Parry,  Williams  &  Co.,  new  firm 67 

Burnham,  Williams  &  Co.,  new  firm . 79 

Cabs,  first  use  of 41 

Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad  Co.,  locomotive  imported 9 

Campbell,  Henry  R.,  design  of  locomotive 26 

Cannon,  L.  G.,  extract  from  letter 23 

Cantagallo  Railway,  locomotives  for 74 

Cast  steel  frames  first  used 87 

Caterpillar  gun  mounts  for  United  States  Navy 123 

Cathcart,  Andrew,  design  for  rack-rail  locomotive 42 

Centennial  International  Exhibition 68 

Centennial  Narrow  Gauge  Railway 68 

Central  Railroad  of  Georgia,  early  locomotives 33,  47 

Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey,  first  double-ender  locomotive 66 

Chadwick,  Geo.  A 122 

Charkoff  Nicolaieff  Railway,  Russia,  locomotives  for 67 

Charleston  and  Hamburg  Railroad  Co.,  locomotive  "Miller" 15 

Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad,  Atlantic  type  locomotives. ...  89 

Santa  Fe  type  locomotives. .  .  107 

Chicago  plant 106 

Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific  Railway,  Walschaerts  valve  motion 

adopted 99 

Chicago  Short  Line,  balanced  compound  locomotive 93 

Chilled  wheels  first  used 25 

Chinese  Eastern  Railways,  locomotives  for 89 

"Chronicle,"  extract  from 12 

Citizens'  Railway  of  Baltimore,  separate  motor 71 

Clark,  David,  feed-water  heater 54 

Classification  first  established . 35 

Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  locomotives  for 56 

Coal,  experiments  in  combustion  of 24,  42,  54 

Coleman,  Robert,  locomotive  for 78 

Columbian  Exposition,  exhibit 81 

Combustion  chamber  introduced 56 

Compressed  air  locomotive  for  street  cars 67 

Compressed  air  locomotives,  first  built 67 

Consolidation  locomotives 60,  65,  78,  87,  90,  118,  119 

Converse,  John  H 67,  104,  105 

Corcovado  Railway,  rack-rail  locomotive 77 


158  HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


Corrugated  fireboxes 71 

Crank-axles  for  locomotives 154 

Cross  flues  placed  in  firebox 55 

Ci  uger,  Alfred,  order  for  locomotives 25 

Cuba,  first  locomotives  exported  to 25 

Cumberland  Valley  Railroad,  locomotive  with  combustion  chamber 56 

Cut-off  valve 38 

Cut-off  with  separate  valve  and  independent  rock-shaft 51 

Cuyahoga  cut-off 53 

Cylinder  and  half  saddle  in  one  piece 59 

Cylinders,  balanced  compound,  cross  section 93 

Cylindrical  pedestals 23 

Cylindrical  pedestals  and  boxes  cast  in  chills 29 

Decapod  type  locomotives 75,  80,  94,  116 

Deflecting  plate  in  firebox 54 

deGlehn  compound  locomotives 102 

deKrafft,  William   104,  105,  135 

Delano  grate 56 

Delano,  Harvey   122 

Delaware,  Lacka wanna  and  Western  Railroad  corrugated  firebox  sheets .  .      71 

Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  extended  wagon-top  boiler. . 77 

"         narrow  gauge  locomotives 64,  65 

Detachable  firebox 24 

Dimpfel  boiler  used 56 

Docks  at  Eddystone  Plant    138-140 

Dom  Pedro  II  Railway,  first  locomotives  for 58 

Decapod  locomotive 75 

"         Mogul  locomotive 68 

Domestic  Sales  Department 134 

Double  eccentric  adopted 25 

Double-ender  type  locomotive,  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey 66 

Driving-axle,  position  of,  Baldwin  and  Norris  locomotives 19,  20 

Driving-wheels,  compound  wood  and  iron 17,  18 

Driving-wheels,  patented,  1834 21,  22 

Driving-wheels  with  wrought  iron  centers,  Vauclain  patent 78 

Eastwick  &  Harrison  equalizing  beam 26 

Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation 126-128 

Eddystone  Munitions  Co 128-130 

Eddystone  Plant,  extensions  at 101,  114,  119,  120 

Eddystone  Rifle  Plant 123-126 

Egyptian  State  Railways,  locomotives  for 90 

Ehle,  A.  H.,  gasoline  locomotives 105 

Eight- wheeled  C  engines 40 

connected  locomotives 40,  41 

locomotive,  H'  R.  Campbell 26 

tenders  first  built 25 

Electric  locomotive,  first  built 82 

Electric  locomotives,  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad >.- 112 

New  York,  New  Haven  and  I  lartford  Railroad  . .  99,  113 

Norfolk  and  Western  Railway ' 113 

Electric  mine  locomotives  with  steel  frames 113 

storage  battery  locomotiv es 114 

truck  shop  completed 101 

Ellet,  Charles,  operation  of  locomotives  on  heavy  grades 48 

Engine  truck,  flexible  beam 30,  31 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS  159 


Engine  truck,  swing  bolster 63 

England,  contracts  in .  .  .• , 89 

Equalization  of  eight-wheeled  locomotives 26 

Erecting  shop,  Eddystone  Plant 114,  120 

Erecting  shop,  electrically  equipped 78 

Erie  and  Kalamazoo  Railroad,  four  coupled  locomotive 34 

Erie  Railroad,  triple  locomotive Ill 

Extract  from  article  by  Charles  Ellet 48 

"       on  Centennial  Narrow  Gauge  Railway 68 

"Chronicle" 12 

letter  of  G.  A.  Nicolls 33 

"       "  M.  W.  Baldwin 51 

"W.  W.  Borst... 65 

"Locomotive  Engineering" 32 

patent  specification  of  M.  W.  Baldwin 52 

"United  States  Gazette" 12 

Exhibit  at  Alaska- Yukon- Pacific  Exposition 103 

"  Centennial  Exhibition 68 

"  Columbian  Exposition 81 

"  Jamestown  Exposition 102 

"  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition 96,  97 

"  Pan-American  Exposition 91 

"         "  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition 131 

"  Paris  Exposition 90 

Fan  for  blowing  fire 29 

Fast  passenger  locomotive  Central  Vermont  Railroad 44 

Bound  Brook  Line 72 

locomotives,  Pennsylvania  Railroad 44 

Feed-water  heater,  Baltimore  and  Ohio  locomotive 43 

"               "       patented  by  Baldwin  and  Clark 54 

Felton,  S.  M 120 

Financial  embarrassments 24 

Finland  State  Railways,  locomotives  for 90 

Firebox,  detachable 24 

Fireboxes,  steel,  first  used 58 

with  corrugated  sides 71 

Firebrick  arch  used  as  a  deflector 54 

Firebricks  supported  on  side  plugs 55 

"    water-tubes 55 

Five-thousandth  locomotive  completed 72 

Fletcher,  Andrew 127 

Flexible  beam  truck 30,  31 

Foreign  Sales  Department 134 

Four-cylinder  locomotive  proposed  by  M.  W.  Baldwin 45 

Frames,  cast  steel,  first  used 87 

Frames,  first  made  integral  with  pedestals 29 

French  and  Baird  smoke-stack 37 

French  Government,  locomotives  for 117 

French  State  Railways,  locomotives  for 89 

Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  Railroad,  oil-burning  locomotive. ...  95 

Geared  locomotive,  design  of  M.  W.  Baldwin 27,  28 

Georgia  Railroad,  first  engine  with  flexible  beam  truck 32 

Government  Railways  of  New  Zealand,  Consolidation  locomotives 72 

Government  of  Victoria,  ten-wheeled  locomotives 72 

Graham,  J.  F 108 


160  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN   LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


Grand  Trunk  Railway,  Canada,  locomotives  for 67 

Great  Central  Railway,  England,  locomotives  for 89 

Great  Northern  Railway,  England,  locomotives  for 89 

United  States,  Mallet  compound  locomotives. .  99 

Greenough,  Graf  ton 121 

Grimes  patent  smoke-stack 38 

Ground  joints  for  steam  pipes 20 

Half-crank  axle 14 

Half-stroke  cut-off 39 

Hango-Hyvinge  Railway  of  Finland,  locomotives  for 67 

Hardie,  Robert,  compressed  air  locomotive 73 

Harrison,  Joseph,  Jr.,  equalizing  beam 26 

Heald,  Edwin  W 76 

Henderson,  George  R Ill 

Henszey,  William  P 62,  103 

High  speed  passenger  locomotive,  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railway.  .  .  83 

Hill  and  West  Dubuque  Street  Railway,  motors  for 71 

Hodges,  W.  Sterling .  . 131 

Hoosac  Tunnel,  electric  locomotives  for 112 

Horizontal  cylinders,  first  used  on  engine  "Ocmulgee" 59 

Hudson  River  Railroad,  fast  passenger  locomotive 45 

Illinois  Central  Railroad,  ten-wheeled  locomotive 91 

Imperial  Government  Railways  of  Japan,  locomotives  for 98,  110 

Incorporation 104 

Internal  combustion  locomotives 105,  116,  120 

Iron  flues,  first  used,  advantage  of 36,  37 

Italian  Government  locomotives  for 100 

affa  and  Jerusalem  Railway,  locomotives  for 79 

amaica  Government  Railways,  mountain  type  locomotive 132 

ames,  W.  T.,  link  motion 50 

amestown  Exposition,  exhibit 102 

apan,  first  locomotives  for 77 

ohnson,  Alba  B 84,  104,  105,  134 

Kansas  Pacific  Railway,  first  locomotives  to  have  tires  shrunk  on 66 

Koursk  Charkoff  Azof  Railway,  locomotives  for 72 

Lehigh  Valley  Railroad,  Consolidation  locomotives 60,  68,  87 

Link  motion,  first  applied  by  M.  W.  Baldwin 53 

"           "       first  use  of 50 

Locomotive,  Baldwin  No.  5,000 72 

Baldwin  No.  10,000 77 

Baldwin  No.  20,000 92 

Baldwin  No.  30,000 101 

Baldwin  No.  40,000 110 

Baldwin  No.  50,000 133 

"Locomotive  Engineering,"  extract  from 32 

Locomotive,  first  Baldwin  compound,  1889 78 

shortest  time  of  construction 78 

with  outside  frames 76 

Locomotive  "Alamosa,"  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad 65 

"Athens,"  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia 47 

"Atlantic,"  Western  Railroad  of  Massachusetts 39 

"Belle,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 53 


HISTORY    OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


161 


Locomotive   "Best  Friend,"  Charleston  and  Hamburg  Railroad 14 

"Black  Hawk,"  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  Railroad 21 

'Blair,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 44 

"Brandywine,"  Philadelphia  and  Columbia  Railroad 21 

'Clinton,"  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia 47 

"Columbia,"  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 81 

"Consolidation,"  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad 60 

'Delaware,"  Centennial  Narrow  Gauge  Railway 69 

'E.  A.  Douglas,"  Thomas  Iron  Company 63 

'E.  L.  Miller,"  Charleston  and  Hamburg  Railroad 15 

'Governor  Paine,"  Vermont  Central  Railroad 43,  44 

'Hornet,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 55 

'Indiana,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 44 

'John  Brough,"  Madison  and  Indianapolis  Railroad 42 

'Lancaster,"  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad 16 

'Leopard,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 55 

"Matt  H.  Shay,"  Erie  Railroad Ill 

"Media,"  West  Chester  and  Philadelphia  Railroad 55 

'M.  G.  Bright,"  Madison  and  Indianapolis  Railroad 41 

"Mifflin,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 44 

'New  England,"  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 37 

'New  Hampshire,"  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia 53 

"Ocmulgee,"  Southwestern  Railroad  of  Georgia 59 

"Old  Ironsides,"  Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Norristown 

Railroad 

'Ontario,"  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 

'Pennsylvania,"  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia 

'Principe  do  Grao  Para,"  Dom  Pedro  II  Railway 

'Schuylkill,"  Centennial  Narrow  Gauge  Railway 

'Sparta,"  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia 

'Susquehanna,"  Hudson  River  Railroad 

'Tiger,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 

'Wasp,"  Pennsylvania  Railroad 

'West  Chester,"  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad 

Locomotives,  American  type 

Atlantic  type 

Balanced  compound 


compressed  air. 

Consolidation  type 

Decapod  type 

deGlehn  compound 

Electric 

First  Baldwin  exported .  . 

Flexible  beam  truck 

for  Military  Service 

Geared 

Internal  combustion 

Mallet  type 

Mikado  type 

Mogul  type 

Mountain  type 

Norris,  1834 

Pacific  type 

Pechot  type 

Prairie  type 

Rack-rail 

Santa  Fe  type 


10 

.  37 
.  53 
.  68 
.  69 
.  47 
.  45 
.  55 
.  55 
.  23 
26,39 

82,  86,  89,  90,  97 

. .92,  97,  100,  102,  106 


.67,  73 
.60,  65,  78,  87,90,  118,  119 

75,80,94,  116 

102 

82,99,  113 

25 

30-34,40,41 

:.... 115-120 

27,  28 

105,  116,  120 

97,  99,  108-110 

. . .86,  95,  107,  108,  118 

63,64 

132 

19,  20 

...92,  106,  110 

117 

90,91,  100 

. .  .42,  77,  78,  79,  80,  83,  84 
95,  101,  107 


162 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE   WORKS 


Locomotives,  Single  rail 

Tandem  compound 

Ten-wheeled 46, 

to  burn  Cumberland  coal 

to  burn  Russian  anthracite  coal .  .  . 

Triple  articulated 

with  single  pair  of  driving-wheels. . 

with  upright  boilers  and  horizontal 

Locomotives  exported  to  Africa 

Algiers 

Austria 

Bavaria 

Belgium 

Brazil 

Canada 

Chile 

China 

Cuba 

Egypt 

England 

Finland 

France 

Italy 

Jamaica  .  .  : 

Japan 

Manchuria 

Mexico 

New  South  Wales 

New  Zealand 

Norway 

Palestine 

Poland 

Porto  Rico 

Queensland 

Russia 

San  Domingo 

Victoria 

Wurtemberg 

Longstreth,  Edward 

Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  six-coupled 

wheeled  Bissell  truck 

Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  exhibit 


65 

94,95 

47,  85,  91,  93,  100,  102,  118 

43 

67 

Ill 

.......10,  15,  19,44,  72,83 

cylinders 30 

80,  135 

89 

28 

90 

90 

58,  64,  68,  74,  75,  77 

67 

76 

90 

25,  71 

90 

89 

67,89 

89,  90,  102,  117,  118 

80,  100 

132 

77,85,98,  110 

102 

73,84 

72,  73,  99 

72,92 

72 

79 

135,  140 

97 

71 

67,  72,  84,  115,  116 

83,  102 

72 

39 

62,  63,  76 

locomotive   with   two- 

57 

96,97 


Madison  and  Indianapolis  Railroad,  rack  locomotive 

Mallet  compound  locomotives,  narrow  gauge 

broad  gauge 

Marietta  and  Cincinnati  Railroad,  locomotive  for. . . 

Mason,  David,  partnership 

McNaughton,  James 

Meier  Iron  Co.,  locomotive  for 

Metallic  packing,  1840 

Metric  system,  locomotives  built  to 

Mexican  National  Construction  Co.,  order  from .... 

Midland  Railway,  England,  locomotives  for 

Midvale  Steel  and  Ordnance  Co 

Mie  Kie  Mines  locomotive,  first  for  Japan 

Mikado  type  locomotives 


.99, 


...41,42 
110,  115 
108,  109 

47 

7 

129 

67 

29 

102,  117 

73 

89 

126 

77 

95,  107,  108,  118 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  163 


"Miller,  E.  L.,"  locomotive  for  Charleston  and  Hamburg  Railroad  .....  14-16 

Mine  Hill  Railroad,  locomotive  with  peculiar  crown  sheet  .............     56 

Mine  locomotives,  inside  and  outside  connected  ......................      66 

Miniature  locomotive,  Philadelphia  Museum  .........................        9 

Mitchell,  Alexander,  first  Consolidation  type  locomotive  ...............      60 

Mogul  locomotives  ...........................................  63,  64,  79 

Mohawk  and  Hudson  Railroad,  locomotive  with  leading  truck  ........  14,  15 

Morgan  &  Co.,  J.  P  ...............................................   126 

Morrow,  William  H  ............................................  76,  77 

Mountain  top  track  ............................................     50 

Narrow  gauge  locomotive,  first  built  ...  ...........................     64 

New  Jersey  Transportation  Co.,  performance  of  locomotives  ...........      23 

New  South  Wales  and  Queensland,  first  locomotives  for  ..............  71,  72 

New  South  Wales  Government,  tramway  motors  ....................      72 

Ten-wheeled  locomotives  .............     99 

New  York  and  Erie  locomotives  ..................................      45 

New  York,  Lake  Erie  and  Western  Railroad,  Decapod  locomotives  .....      80 

NewYork,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  electric  locomotives,  99,  112,  113 
New  Zealand  Government  Railways,  locomotives  for  ................  72,  92 

Nicolls,  G.  A.,  extract  from  letter  .................................      33 

Norfolk  and  Western  Railway,  electric  locomotives  ...................    113 

Nord  Railway,  France,  locomotives  for  ..............................    118 

Norris,  Septimus,  ten-wheeled  locomotive  patent  .....................     46 

Norris,  William  .  .  .  .  .............................................      19 

Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  order  ..............  .....................      66 

locomotive  number  ten-thousand  ...........      77 

Norwegian  State  Railway,  ten-  wheeled  locomotives  ...................      72 

Number  of  locomotives  constructed  in  1834  ..........................      19 

1835-1840  .....................     22 

1841-1842  ....................  30,32 

1843-1845  .....................     35 

1846-1847  .....................     41 

1848-1851  .............  .  ........     43 

1852-1854  ....................     45 

1855-1860  .....................     55 

1861-1865  .....................     57 

1866-1919  .................  141,  142 

"Ocmulgee,"  first  locomotive  with  horizontal  cylinders  ................      59 

Officers,  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  ................................    104 

Officers,  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  ...........................      105 

Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad,  change  in  gauge  ......................      66 

Oil-burning  locomotives  .........................................  95,  109 

"Old  Ironsides,"  first  Baldwin  locomotive  .........................  .  .9-14 

Orel  Griazi  Railway,  Russia,  locomotives  for  .........................      72 

Oregon  Railroad  and  Navigation  Co.,  locomotives  for  .................    108 

Outside  cylinders,  Mr.  Baldwin  the  first  American  builder  .............     59 

Pacific  type  locomotives  ....................................  92,  106,  110 

Pan-American  Exposition,  exhibit  ..................................     91 

Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition,  exhibit  .....................    131 

Paris  Exposition,  exhibit  ..........................................     90 

Paris,  Lyons  and  Mediterranean  Railway,  locomotives  for  .............    118 

Paris-Orleans  Railway,  locomotives  for  ............................  90,  102 

Parry,  Charles  T  ................................................  62,  77 

Peale,  Franklin,  Philadelphia  Museum  ..............................       9 


164  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


Pedestals,  cylindrical 23 

Pennsylvania  Lines,  Pacific  type  locomotive 110 

Pennsylvania  Railroad,  fast  passenger  locomotives 44 

first  locomotive  with  steel  firebox 58 

first  to  use  steel  boiler 64 

four-wheeled  swing-bolster  truck 63 

large  orders  from 66,  99 

locomotive  with  firebrick  arch 54 

locomotive  with  remarkable  mileage  record 63 

locomotive  with  steel  flues 63 

ten-wheeled  locomotives 46 

Pennsylvania  State  Railroad,  locomotives  for 16,  20,  23 

steam  power  adopted  on 16 

Penoles  Mining  Co.,  rack  and  adhesion  locomotive 84 

Pershing  type  locomotives 119,  120 

Philadelphia  and  Columbia  Railroad,  locomotive  "Brandywine" 21 

Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railway,  Atlantic  type  locomotive 86 

first  locomotive  with  iron  tubes 36 

flexible  beam  truck  locomotives,  33,  34,  41 

"         high  speed  locomotive 82 

Philadelphia  and  Trenton  Railroad,  locomotive  "Black  Hawk" 21 

Philadelphia,   Germantown  and   Norristown   Railroad, 

locomotives  for, 9-14,  25,  40,  54 

Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Norristown  Railroad,  time-table 13 

Philadelphia  Locomotive  Works.  . 105 

Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  Railroad,  Dimpfel  boiler 56 

Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  Railroad,  locomotives  for 47 

Pittsburgh,  Shawmut  and  Northern  Railroad,  Santa  Fe  type 101 

Pike's  Peak  rack  locomotive 78,  79 

Plymouth  Cordage  Co.,  compressed  air  locomotive 68 

Pneumatic  Tramway  Engine  Co.,  locomotive  for 73 

Polish  Government,  locomotives  for 135,  140 

Portage  Railroad,  locomotives  for 47 

Principe  do  Grao  Para,  rack  locomotives 77 

Prairie  type  locomotives 90,  91,  100 

Production  statistics 141,  142 

Proving  Ground,  Lakehurst,  New  Jersey 127 

Pump  and  stirrup,  design  of  1834 19 

Rack  and  adhesion  locomotives 83,  84 

Rack  locomotive,  first 42 

Rack-rail  locomotives,  Abt  system 78,  79,  83,  84 

Riggenbach  system 77 

Radial  stay  wagon-top  boiler 77 

Radley  and  Hunter  smoke-stack 38 

Railway  gun  mounts  for  United  States  Navy 121,  122 

Remington  Arms  Co.  of  Delaware 124 

Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Railroad,  locomotive  for 23 

Rifle  Plant,  Eddystone 123-126 

Riggenbach  system  rack  locomotive 77 

Rock  Fish  Gap,  temporary  track 47 

Rocking  grate  first  introduced 43 

Rockwell,  C.  K 128 

Rogers,  Thomas,  link  motion  adopted 50 

Rolled  steel  wheels 152 

Royal  Railroad  Company  of  Wurtemburg 39 

Rushton  improved  smoke-stack 38 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  165 


Russian  locomotives,  compound 84 

for  Military  Service 115,  116 

Russian  railways,  Mogul  locomotives 67,  72 

Russian  shrapnel 126,  127 

Sand  box,  first  used 41 

San  Domingo  Improvement  Co.,  rack  and  adhesion  locomotive 83 

"      ,  narrow  gauge  Mallet  locomotive  for 102 

Santa  Fe  type  locomotives 95,  101,  107 

Schlacks,  Chas.  H 124,  129 

Shells  for  Great  Britain  and  France 119- 

Shops,  location  of,  1834 17 

Shops  partially  destroyed    18,  101 

Single  rail  locomotives 65 

Six-wheels-connected  locomotive,  flexible  beam  truck 30 

Smith,  A.  F.,  combustion  chamber 56 

Smoke-stack,  French  and  Baird 37 

'     Radley  and  Hunter 38 

'     Rushton  improved 38 

South  African  Railways,  mountain  type  locomotives 135 

South  Carolina  Railroad,  American  type  locomotive 39 

South  Manchurian  Railways,  locomotives  for 102 

South  Side  Elevated  Railroad,  Chicago,  locomotives  for 82 

Southern  Pacific  Co.,  Mallet  locomotives 109 

'     oil-burning  locomotives 95,  109 

Southern  Railway,  Mallet  locomotives 133 

Southwestern  Railroad  of  Georgia,  horizontal  cylinders 59 

Spiral  springs  for  engine  truck 29 

Spiral  springs  in  pedestal  boxes 29 

Sprague,  Duncan  and  Hutchison,  electric  locomotive 82 

Stagg,  W.  C 129 

Standard  gauges  and  templets 60 

Standard  gauges,  first  proposed 25 

locomotive  designs  for  Associated  Lines 96 

locomotives  for  United  States  Railroad  Administration 132 

Steel  Works,  acquisition  by  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 68 

Company,  history  of 149-155 

Stationary  engine 8,17 

Statue  pf'M.  W.  Baldwin  unveiled 101 

St.  Clair  Tunnel,  Decapod  locomotive 791 

St.  Phalle,  Francois  de 134 

Steam-chest  for  cut-off 38 

inspection  car 

motor  for  street  cars 71 

Steam  street  car 69 

'     reconstructed .- 70 

Steel  axles,  first  used 

'     boilers,  first  introduced 64 

"     fireboxes,  first  introduced 58 

'     flues,  first  introduced 64 

"    frames  for  electric  mine  locomotives 114 

"     in  locomotive  construction,  1862 58 

"    tired  wheels 151 

"    tires,  first  used 58 

"    tires  made  with  shoulder 58 

Stephenson  link  motion 39 

Robert  &  Co. .  .                                   14 


166  HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS 


Storage  battery  locomotives 114 

Stroud,  William  C 76,  80 

Sugarloaf  Coal  Co.,  geared  locomotive 28 

Superheating 106,  107 

Swing  bolster  truck,  four-wheeled  plan 63 

Sykes,  John  P.,  Vice-President  121,  127 

L.  A.,  opinion  of  Baldwin  engines 23 

Tandem  compound  locomotives : 94,  96 

Tate,  J.  L 129 

Tenders,  eight-wheeled,  first  used 25 

Ten-wheeled  locomotive,  introduction  of . 45,  46 

locomotives 85,  91,  93,  99,  100,  102,  118 

Thomas  Iron  Co.,  Mogul  locomotive 63 

Thomson,  J.  Edgar,  order  from    32 

Time-table,  Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Norristown  Railroad 13 

Tires  for  driving  wheels,  1838 25 

'     shrunk  on  wheel  centers 66 

'     steel,  first  used. .  . , 58 

Tramway  motors,  New  South  Wales 72 

Triple  articulated  locomotives Ill 

Truck  and  tender  wheels,  design  of  1834 20,  21 

Tubes  of  iron  first  used 36 

"       with  copper  ferrules 21,  42 

Twenty-sixth  street  roundhouse  completed 96 

Uniao  Valenciana  Railway,  Brazil,  narrow  gauge  locomotives 64 

"United  States  Gazette,"  extract 12 

United  States  Government,  locomotives  for 57,  119,  120,  132 

rifles  for 124 

Navy,  gun  mounts  for 121-123 

Railroad  Administration,  standard  locomotives 132 

Urbano  Railway  of  Havana,  motor 71 

Utica  and  Schenectady  Railroad,  four-coupled  locomotive 34 

Vail  and  Hufty,  partnership •. 26 

Valve  motion  with  single  eccentric 16 

Valve  motion,  Walschaerts,  introduction  of 99 

Vanderbilt  boiler  and  tender,  locomotive  with,  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  91 

Variable  cut-off,  adjustment 52 

chains  substituted  for  straps 53 

patents ....  50 

with  lever  and  links 53 

"       exhaust,  automatic 54 

Vauclain  compound  locomotives 78,  79,  80,  81,  83,  84,  86,  87,  89,  90,  95 

"         Andrew  C 18 

Samuel  M 76,  78,  84,  104,  105,  121,  122,  126,  127,  135 

Vermont  Central  Railroad,  fast  passenger  locomotive 44 

Veronej  Rostoff  Railway,  Russia,  locomotives  for 66 

Virginia  Central  Railroad,  locomotives  for  mountain  service 48 

Virginian  Railway,  triple  locomotive  for 1: 

Vologda-Archangel  Ry.,  locomotives  for 115 

Walschaerts  valve-motion,  adoption  of 99 

War  activities,  summary 130 

Water  leg  in  firebox 54 

West  Chester  and  Philadelphia  Railroad,  locomotive  with  brick  arch. ...  55 


HISTORY   OF   THE    BALDWIN    LOCOMOTIVE    WORKS  167 


Western  Railroad  of  Massachusetts,  locomotives  for 30,  36 

Wheel  centers,  wrought  iron 78 

Wheels,  improvements  in,  1835 21 

Whitney,  Asa,  partnership 35 

Wilhelm,  Capt.  Walter  M 129,  130 

Willard,  A.  L 122 

Williams,  Edward  H 62,  89 

Wilmington  and  Baltimore  Railroad,  locomotive  for 40 

Winans,  Ross 30 

Wooden  frames  abandoned .      25 


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